Hi Folks, Long story short, I am watching a neighbors house while they are on vacation. One thing they requested that I do is water their highly cherished Christmas cactus plants - they have at least 10-12 of them of various sizes. The last time I checked in on them, they appeared slightly droopy and one "arm" of one of the smaller plants was very dry and brown (in a panic I cut this part off and threw it away in my garbage at home!). What would cause this? They warned me not to OVER water them, so I let them go a long time without water. Is this a case of UNDER watering? I am terrified of killing these plants! Any advice? Thanks! Brian
How long is what you call "too long" ? How much did you water it then? Did you check the soil when you saw the droopy part ? What size pot or container is it in ? Sorry for all the questions but its hard to hurt a cactus. They really should have left you written instruction if you are not used to taking care of houseplants and cactus in particular. Christmas cactus will occasionally lose a branch or two if they get too long and heavy. Normally this will be on the outside half of the branch. You did right to remove it.
Hi, Thanks for the replies. It has been about three weeks since I last watered them. I too was thinking, it is a cactus, they should be fine for awhile. All plants are in containers which have proper drainage. When I checked the soil tonight it appeared dry, but not super dry. So, I gave them all a little shot of water each. I hope when I check back tomorrow they are back to normal and lesson learned. They also have three staghorn ferns...they looked ok, but the leaf on one was very wilted. So, I watered those too. Sorry folks for my novice concerning plants, why they chose me to look after their plants is beyond me! I appreciate the advice. Brian
Are they in a sunroom where the temp gets too warm ?? Cactus should not dry out that fast unless they are in a soil similar to that used in commercial greenhouses. That type potting medium will not absorb water if you water from the top like you would other houseplants. It just drains off. They need to sit in a pan of water long enough for it to be absorbed, then remove it & let excess drain. You can tell because it will feel very lightweight if dry. Those soils need some sand or other potting medium mixed with it to hold moisture. Check the plants tomorrow and see how they are doing. One other thing,, cactus actually store water in the branches. You can feel of them and see if they feel full and firm with a shine to them or if they feel squishy and lack lustre. Thhey will get softer if they need water but overwatering can kill them faster than if too dry. So if you have to water more often keep the volume of water at a minimum. Soil should be barely damp to the touch.
Why not ask the owners of the plants about this? Holiday cacti are epiphytes from tropical rainforest jungle, not from dry desert climates, so drying out is not normal for them. http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/p ... c1554.html
Update. Thanks everyone for your help! I think I can sigh some relief after checking in on the plants since watering..they look some what back to normal. Possibly a "duh" moment, but I was very concerned coming from a novice plant person. The only thing I can keep alive is snake plants! Thanks again!
