Christmas cactus loses leaves and flowers fall off

With its sometimes lush head of shoots and its plump blooms that shine in winter, the Schlumbergera belongs - mostly by its common name Christmas cactus well-known - also outside of the Christmas season one of the most popular and common types of cacti in living rooms at home. The greater the worry is when you look at your Christmas cactus and realize: Oh dear, the leaves are falling off. The reasons behind this and how quickly and easily a remedy can be found are explained here in an understandable and simple manner.

Loss of leaves and flowers

Why do Schlumbergera leaves and flowers fall off?

Before one specifically deals with the question of the causes of and measures against leaf loss, one should first look at the Location requirements of the Christmas cactus. Because in the vast majority of cases, problems with the plants result from insufficient or unsuitable Locations and, as a result, an undersupply or oversupply of light, water or Nutrients.

The ideal location

The home of the Schlumbergera is primarily in tropical areas where the popular cactus naturally occurs in the accumulations of humus on the forks of large trees, or in depressions or holes in rock formations thrives. There the plant usually finds the following conditions to which it has adapted perfectly:

• Moderate to warm temperatures without periods of frost
• Shady to partially shaded locations without direct summer sun
• High humidity, as well as a good supply of water in the soil and root area, usually very low-lime to lime-free water
• Good supply of nutrients in the humus
• Usually short dry periods due to tropical climates, in which flower formation is promoted

Causes of the shedding of flowers and leaves

If plant components fall off, situations that deviate from the above-mentioned location requirements are almost always responsible in the living room at home. Depending on the changed location factor, the reasons why the plant loses its parts can be of different types.

Temperatures

Too much of: Shedding of plant parts due to overheating of the cells, or dehydration of the plant due to increased evaporation

Too little: Protective mechanism of the plant, if there is insufficient supply, peripheral components that are less important for survival are shed

exposure

Too much of: Leaves and flower parts die off due to burning of the upper cell layers and thus the protective plant skin

Too little: lack of photosynthesis and the associated lack of energy

water

Too much of: Mold and rot possible, but only very rarely the case with plants of tropical origin due to humidity alone; especially problematic with waterlogging at the root ball; if there is excessive moisture during flowering (usually September and October), buds or flowers are rejected

Too little: Dehydration of the plant and death from the extremities to the stalk

Nutrients / soil

Here there is seldom an undersupply or oversupply of nutrients, but mostly the wrong composition or a deviating pH value. A Ph value of 5 to 6 is ideal. Too much lime in the substrate is critical.

Consequence: Undersupply and oversupply can hinder plant development and is associated with slower growth and possible rejection of peripheral components.

Diseases

Diseases or pests can of course also cause the Schlumbergera to shed parts of its shoots. However, no relevant diseases or parasites are known for the Christmas cactus and the plant is considered right robust and insensitive. Therefore, should a disease or an infestation actually occur, it cannot be assigned to common pathogens from the outset. In these cases, the cause should be determined and dealt with accordingly.

Countermeasures

Opportunities to counteract leaf shedding

The possibilities of counteracting the falling off of instincts are obvious.

• Temperatures: look for a suitable location, not directly on the heater, but also not in areas that are at risk of frost or that are completely unheated
• Exposure: choose a partially shaded location, if necessary cover it up in the evening and at night, especially during winter, avoid permanent exposure to artificial light during the flowering period
• Water: Keep the root ball permanently moist, dust the plant frequently and with water, rainwater or decalcified tap water is particularly suitable
• Nutrients / soil: choose soil with a suitable pH value between 5 and 6, e.g. B. Avoid cactus soil, or a substrate made from your own mixture, too high a lime content

The ideal is the prevention of leaf and flower shedding through good regulation of all location factors. In this way, the undesirable phenomena can be avoided from the outset. Once the time has come, however, the falling off of the parts of the plant usually cannot be stopped immediately. Because before a flower or a leaf falls off, a phase of damage goes ahead that is not readily visible. If the causes are eliminated, further parts of the leaves and flowers can still be expected to fall off for a certain period of time. However, you can assume that all healthy shoots will remain intact under good growing conditions and no further consequential damage will occur.