Don't panic if your Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) has soft leaves! Identify the 5 main causes and treat them accordingly, and the leaves will soon be firm again!

When the leaves of a Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) are thick and emerald green, it looks wonderfully full of life, but during care you often run into leaves going soft--some turn wrinkled and dull, others wilt so much they droop at the slightest touch. In fact, soft leaves are mostly caused by improper care; once you pinpoint the cause and treat it accordingly, it will quickly plump back up!

1. Lack of water and dried out: cracked potting soil and shrunken leaves, soak the pot to the rescue

If the surface of the potting soil is cracked and feels rock hard, and the leaves are not only soft but also shrunken, dull and drop at a touch, then it is seriously short of water! Water evaporates quickly in high temperatures or in a heated room, so this situation is most likely to occur there.

The solution is simple: do not pour a big splash of water directly; find a shallow basin, fill it half full with clean water, and set the pot in it to soak15minutes so the potting soil slowly drinks its fill. After soaking, lift the pot out and let the excess water drain; usually within2hours the soft leaves will plump back up.

2. Too much water and root rot: soggy soil but soft leaves, unpotting and trimming the roots is key

If the potting soil is soggy, even damp to the touch, yet the leaves are still soft and the base of the stems has turned yellow and mushy, it is most likely root rot from overwatering! The Christmas cactus is a succulent plant, and its roots hate standing water; once the roots rot they cannot take up water, so the leaves naturally go limp and soft.

Act promptly:1. Take the plant out of the pot and shake off the soil, use sterilized scissors to cut away the blackened, mushy rotten roots, and trim1cmoff the edges of the healthy roots as well;2. mix1gof carbendazim with500mlof water to make a solution, and soak the roots in it for30minutes to disinfect;3. take them out and let them dry in a cool, shady spot, then repot in fresh soil made of leaf mold+perlite (3:1), and after repotting wait3days before watering.

3. Scorching sun/High temperatures: grayish-green soft leaves, shade and cool down for a quick recovery

In summer, if you put the Christmas cactus on a west-facing windowsill that gets the afternoon sun, or the ambient temperature exceeds30°C, the leaves easily turn gray and go soft--strong light and high temperatures speed up water loss from the leaves and also burn the leaf cells.

Move it at once to an east-facing windowsill, or filter the strong light with a white gauze curtain, or place it under a shade net. If the temperature is too high, spray a little water around the pot to cool it down, and within1-2days the leaves will slowly firm up again.

4. Nutrient depletion: thin, soft leaves after blooming, trimming leaves and feeding is the trick

After the Christmas cactus finishes blooming, if the leaves turn thin and soft, it is caused by the flowers having consumed too many nutrients.

First give the plant a "lightening the load": pinch off the top1-2segments of thin, soft leaves to reduce nutrient consumption; 10days after the flowers fade, supplement with a balanced nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, such as Peters Professional1, diluted with water at1:1000and applied once every half month, to help the plant regain its strength.

5. Do these 3things for prevention and you will have fewer problems and less worry

1. Water scientifically: before watering, use your finger to push into the potting soil2-3cm, water thoroughly only when the soil is dry, and stop as soon as water comes out of the bottom of the pot; avoid watering at midday in summer, and use warm water in winter to avoid shocking the roots.

2. Care during dormancy: in the high heat of summer and after blooming, the Christmas cactus goes dormant; at this time stop fertilizing and control watering, avoid strong light and increase ventilation, so the plant can "rest".

3. Regular feeding: during the growing season, water once a month with homemade fertilizer (rice-washing water fermented for7days, or soybeans boiled soft and fermented, diluted with water at1:10); during bud formation, spray with monopotassium phosphate diluted at1:1500to make the buds fuller and the plant sturdier.