Although Christmas cacti are easy to care for, they are not entirely undemanding indoor plants. If the succulent leaves hanging, this is usually due to too much water. Here's what you can do when the leaves on the Christmas cactus droop.
In a nutshell
- Cause of sagging leaves: too much water or waterlogging
- immediately repot into dry substrate
- completely remove old soil
- Thoroughly clean the plant pot
- pay attention to drainage and water less often
Table of contents
- Causes of sagging leaves
- countermeasures
- repot
- Pour right
- frequently asked Questions
Causes of sagging leaves
Usually the long shoots of the Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) has a lot of resilience, so that the plant takes up quite a lot of space over time. However, if the plant lets its leaves droop sadly, many suspect a lack of water and reach for the watering can. However, this is completely wrong, because the cause of the drooping leaves is an oversupply of water. Substrate that is too wet or even waterlogging leads to rotting of the roots, which is why they can no longer supply the above-ground parts of the plant with sufficient moisture. So the paradoxical consequence of overwatering is that the Schlumbergera dries up. Limp leaves on the Christmas cactus are the first sign of this.
A notice: The Christmas cactus grows as an epiphyte - i.e. epiphyte - on the tall trees of the rainforest. Here it only absorbs a little water through the roots, but rather moisture through the air.
countermeasures
As a first measure against the limp leaves on the Christmas cactus, you should check the moisture content of the substrate feel: To do this, stick a finger into the soil and see how moist it is a few centimeters deep is. In this case, superficially dry substrate can actually be quite wet at depth. So don't be fooled!
repot
Basically, changing the substrate helps the Christmas cactus in this case. When repotting, it is best to proceed as follows:
- pot the plant
- Remove old soil completely, also from the roots
- Root control: cut away rotten and muddy areas
- Thoroughly wash and disinfect the plant pot
- insert drainage
- fill in fresh, dry (and permeable!) substrate
- Plant a Christmas cactus
Only use planters with drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. Expanded clay should always be filled in as the bottom layer. A thickness of - depending on the pot size - several centimeters is essential. Also use a loose substrate without peat and mix it with expanded clay. Perlite is also very suitable for this purpose. In this way, excess irrigation water can drain off quickly, so that waterlogging does not occur in the first place.
Tip: Peat-free or low-peat potting soil is not only ecologically more sensible - after all, you have to no bogs are drained and mined - but also looser and more permeable than peaty. Peaty substrate tends to become very firm and hard.
Pour right
After repotting, you should water the Christmas cactus much less often:
- every three to four days on hot summer days
- once a week on cooler summer days
- in the autumn and winter months: about every 7 to 10 days
How often you actually have to water cannot be said in general terms. This depends on the one hand on the plant itself - such as its size and location - and on environmental factors. Before each watering, do a finger test and only water the Christmas cactus when the substrate feels dry even a few centimeters deep, otherwise there is a risk of slack again Leaves. Water Schlumbergera deeply and clean up any excess water within minutes - the plant should not get "wet feet".
Tip: In any case, it is better to water the Christmas cactus less and instead keep the humidity high - this should be at least 60 percent. Spray the plant all over with low-lime water every two to three days.
frequently asked Questions
Incidentally, excessive watering not only leads to sagging leaves. The Christmas cactus can drop these too, which is why you should pay more attention to wet soil when you see this sign and repot the plant as described if necessary. But be careful: a sudden change of location or a lack of light can also trigger a drop in leaves. So before repotting, check which cause actually applies. Repotting puts additional stress on the plant and should therefore only be carried out if it is really necessary.
Never put the Christmas cactus down directly before it blooms: the plant often reacts to a change of location by shedding the flower buds, so that the flowers fail in winter. For example, if your Schlumbergera oversummers on the balcony, it is best to bring it in before the buds form and place it directly in its winter spot.
Brown spots on the leaves of the Christmas cactus can have many causes: However, they are often an indication of too much water. As a result, not only do the roots rot, but fungal diseases spread to the leaves and shoots. In this case, also repot the plant in dry substrate and cut away rotten roots and affected leaves.