How do I save a Christmas cactus?

Do not transplant. They need very,very bright light, no direct sun(sunny window with sheer curtains);dry soil then thoroughly watered with good drainage;no drafts hot or cold;left in one place to grow-when in bloom don't even turn it around or it could drop all buds. #1 killer of house plants is overwatering & way too much care. Give it some water soluble miracle grow fertilizer 1-2 times a year as regular watering. They do best when left rootbound,more top growth & blooms. There are 3 kinds Thanksgiving(most common)Christmas and Easter they bloom 3 different times of year and come in many different colors. great info. https://web.extension.illinois.edu/cfiv/homeowners/111122.html

May need repotting if it is root bound, and some fertilizer. We have two that get Northeast sunlight and bloom several times a year. Also, don’t over water it. It is a succulent and probably only needs water every two weeks

Hi JuneG,

I have one that originally belonged to my great, great, great grandmother so I understand exactly what you mean. My first task was to take a few leaves off of the plant and propagate them so that I have more than one plant. I gave one to each of my kids and also one to several friends. The plant I got was very, very large. I trimmed it back a bit then took it out of the pot and shook off a lot of the old dirt. Then I planted it into a larger pot with some fresh dirt in the early spring and fertilized it.

Since it's a cactus, it doesn't need a lot of water but it does need humidity. It also needs natural light and natural darkness for blooming. As winter approaches, suspend fertilizing, keep it in a room that you don't use very often so that it gets enough darkness. If it's dark outside, the plant should be in a dark space - even if you have to put it temporarily in a closet at night. Just "put it to bed" when the sun goes down and "wake it up" when the sun rises. Here's a 2 page article with more tips. I hope this helps you. Wishing you the best.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/cacti-succulents/christmas-cactus/woody-christmas-cactus.htm

Repot if rootbound, depending on the size of the pot, ie: 12 inch pot, give it 1 tablespoon of castor oil drizzled evenly around the stalk/stem so the roots can feed on it, 18 inch pot probably 3 Tablespoons of castor oil. Then water with warm, not hot, water.

I have my great grandmother's and I'm guessing it's 90 or more years old. She did the castor oil thing 1nce a year around thanksgiving. They also need light. She claimed that the castor oil helped get bigger and longer lasting flowers. It's been working for me and I'm serious ,this has to be 90 something years old

Hi Darla, so sorry you'e having problems with your mom's Christmas cactus. Can you check the soil in the pot and the roots. If it's very dry and pulling away from the sides of the pot, water the plant and repot her in a new pot with a soil mixture of 2 parts peat moss and 1 part each of potting soil and coarse sand or perlite. When you give her water don't overwater, rather give her little bits every day. Too much water at once will put her into shock. The Christmas cacti, needs between 10 and 12 hours of light a day to thrive, so put her in a spot where she get's enough indirect light and I'm sure she'll thrive and give you many more years of beautiful flowers.