After crab claw cactus enters autumn, its leaves go soft; use a little of this and the leaves become firm as steel plates
We all know that crab claw cactus (Schlumbergera) is a plant that enters dormancy in summer, and it will only slowly recover and enter its growing period after autumn arrives and the temperature drops below 30 degrees. Now autumn has arrived, and the temperature has also turned cool, but some flower growers have found that their crab claw cactus leaves start to go soft after autumn arrives, almost turning into a "spider plant." At this time, we should not worry. Use a little of "it," and our crab claw cactus leaves will become firm as "steel plates"!
First, what we need to understand is, what was your crab claw cactus like in summer? If your crab claw cactus was already a little soft in summer, and in autumn the softness just becomes more serious, this situation is still very easy to solve. This is caused by lack of water. In summer, we worry that during dormancy its absorption capacity is not enough and water accumulation is likely, so we water less. Thus, leaves going soft is very normal.
What we need to do now is slowly increase the amount of watering, letting it slowly recover. Especially important is spraying water on the leaf surface, keeping it up 1-2 times a day, and placing it in a well-ventilated place. In about half a month, it will recover! During this period, we can cut off the top two segments of leaves of the crab claw cactus. This can reduce evaporation, lock in water, and quickly help the leaves recover. Do not worry about affecting its appearance; these two segments of leaves will grow back very quickly! And after using a little water, the newly grown leaves of our crab claw cactus will be very firm, like little "steel plates," hard and stiff!
This is a normal situation. There is also an abnormal situation, that is, it was fine in summer, but after autumn arrives, leaves suddenly go soft. This kind of situation is generally caused by root rot! There are two possibilities. After autumn arrives, everyone thinks it has completely left dormancy and starts fertilizing and watering. This can easily lead to excessive amounts, causing water accumulation and fertilizer accumulation, and thus root rot!
In this situation, what we need to do is check the root system to see whether there is rot. If there is, we must immediately repot, cut off the rotted roots, then soak them in carbendazim solution for 10-15 minutes, let them dry naturally, and then put them back into the pot. Only this way is there a chance to save the crab claw cactus! Then many people will ask, when the crab claw cactus has just entered autumn and is about to leave dormancy, how should we care for it?
Actually, the method is very simple. We should not rush to supply lots of water and fertilizer. We can proceed step by step and take it slowly. When watering, we can use a spray bottle to water by spraying, so there will not be too much. As long as the potting soil stays slightly moist, that is enough. As for fertilizing, we should not add fertilizer to the potting soil. We can use a little foliar fertilizer, that is, fertilizer that the leaves can absorb in large amounts, and just apply or spray it on the leaves. This way, it will not cause the unfavorable situations mentioned above!
This is the care method for crab claw cactus just after autumn arrives. If everyone likes crab claw cactus, you can learn from it! If you find it useful, just click to follow. We update flower-growing tips every day, hoping to help everyone.