Christmas cactus leaves turn thin and soft and drop off - move it somewhere else quickly, or it will soon wither and die

In summer the temperature is relatively high, and many of the flowers we grow enter a state of dormancy or semi-dormancy, for example the Christmas cactus. When caring for a Christmas cactus in summer, you must put it in a place with good ventilation and plenty of scattered light, and never let it get rained on - I paid a huge price for this lesson

This Schlumbergera x buckleyi (many people mistake it for a Christmas cactus, the leaves are very similar, and the care method is the same) is one I have grown for a year. It was because I put it outside for ventilation, then forgot to bring it back indoors. It got rained on, which caused the graft point to rot from the rain, and all these leaves were wasted, so this is a painful lesson,

I had no choice but to graft some leaves again using a triangular cactus stem. Fellow growers, you must remember this lesson.

For a Christmas cactus grafted onto a cactus, because summer is the peak growing season for the rootstock, the rootstock will keep producing side shoots, and at this time the side shoots should be broken off promptly to avoid them absorbing too many nutrients and causing the grafted Christmas cactus to grow poorly. The broken-off cactus pads or Pereskia can still be used again for cuttings.

Many fellow growers say that in summer the Christmas cactus easily develops leaves that are soft and thin, and there is also a wilting phenomenon. This may be because your Christmas cactus's earlier leaves were not grown to be very thick and plump, and in summer during its dormant period, the Christmas cactus grows slowly.

A state of malnutrition appears, or it may be because the root system has not grown well and the soil is not breathable. This will also cause the leaves to be thin and soft. At this time, put it in a place with good ventilation and scattered light or slightly more light, and let it slowly go dormant. When autumn comes, resume normal watering, fertilising and light, and it can slowly recover

There are also fellow growers whose Christmas cactus keeps dropping leaves in summer. This may be because ventilation is usually poor, or it was kept in an air-conditioned room, or it got rained on - all of these can cause leaf drop. As long as you put it in a well-ventilated place, reduce the frequency of watering, and keep the soil slightly moist, it can safely get through the dormant period

When autumn comes, resume normal watering and fertilising, and the Christmas cactus leaves will slowly recover. In autumn, apply phosphorus and potassium fertiliser and keep it in short-day conditions, and it will soon be covered in flower buds