What should I do if the leaves of Christmas cactus become soft and wilted?

Root rot

Is the area where the roots meet the soil turning yellow and soft? If so, it is very likely that the roots have rotted.

Solution:

If there is no root rot, water it less and increase the light appropriately to allow the Christmas cactus to recover slowly.

If the roots are rotten, all rotten parts must be removed and disinfected before replanting.

Improper watering

Too much watering can easily cause water accumulation, which will slow the growth of Christmas cactus or even cause root rot. If you water too little, the soil will be too dry, which can easily cause the fleshy stems to dry out and cause the leaves to become soft.

Solution:

If you water too much, you should quickly place the Christmas cactus in a well-ventilated place to loosen the soil, enhance air permeability, and speed up the evaporation of water.

If there is a lack of water, just water it according to the principle of watering when the soil is dry and watering when it is wet.

Too much light

Christmas cactus is a short-day plant that prefers semi-shade and scattered light and avoids direct sunlight. Therefore, if it is often exposed to the sun but not shaded, the leaves of Christmas cactus will turn yellow and become soft.

Solution:

When caring for it, pay attention to shading, maintain good ventilation, and spray water on the stem surface frequently to prevent the leaves from becoming soft.

Dormant period

After flowering and in the summer, Christmas cactus will enter a corresponding dormant period. At this time, the Christmas cactus will grow slowly and its leaves will wilt, which is also normal.

Solution:

Control watering and do not fertilize. At least wait until the surface of the soil in the pot is slightly dry before watering. Spray the stem pieces frequently with a watering can.

As time goes by, the Christmas claw lotus that has passed the flowering dormancy period will sprout new stems from the base of the stem and the short cut. After that, you can increase water and fertilizer and switch to normal management.

Pests

A common pest of Christmas cactus is scale insects, which can cause the nodes of Christmas cactus to turn yellow and the leaves to wilt and fall off. Therefore, you should carefully observe whether there are really insects on the leaves. If so, you can use a small bamboo stick to scrape off the insects. Pay attention to insect removal as the main focus and avoid causing excessive harm to the Christmas cactus.

Solution:

If you find scale insects, you can wipe them off with a cotton swab or brush dipped in alcohol.

Use diesel, washing powder and water in the ratio of 10:0..6:6 to make a mother liquor. At this time, the mother liquor is in milky state. After diluting it with water to contain 30% of the liquid medicine, spray it carefully at the scale insects.

Use common insecticides such as "HuaHuaShen" and dilute with water at a ratio of 1:200 according to the instructions and spray it. Spray it again after a week and you basically won't see any insects anymore.

Okay, here are almost all the reasons why Christmas cactus leaves become soft and wilted, let’s learn about them quickly!