As a succulent, watering should always be limited. Inconsistent watering is another issue experienced with this plant. This adds even faster drainage, so you don’t have to be concerned with root rot. When putting the newly purchased plant into a permanent pot, use a cactus potting mix amended with coarse sand and pumice. Chances are the Easter cactus is planted in improper soil. Perhaps your plant has the symptoms of overwatering, but you’ve only watered it a small, limited amount. Bud or leaf drop can also result from under or over watering, if humidity is too low or even when the plant is in the path of fumes from a gas-burning stove. The Easter cactus leaves falling off may result from temps that are too high, exposures to drafts, and not enough light. After spending several weeks in darkness for 14 hours per day it is not surprising that this sometimes happens.ĭropping buds is most likely to happen when the plant is moved. Easter cactus leaves sometimes get wrinkled or fall off, as do their buds. Problems are not common in most kinds of holiday cacti, but they do occasionally crop up. This process with Easter cactus usually begins around the first of January. In captivity, these plants are often placed in total darkness of up to 14 hours per day for several weeks to force blooms for the holiday. This puts the plant in a position to get no more than filtered light, as much of the sun is blocked by surrounding trees.

There it is usually found in the crotch of a tree limb, several feet above the ground. It is not likely that problems have increased, but more people are experiencing them because more people have the plants.Įaster cactus is actually a jungle cactus, growing in its native habitat in the Brazilian rainforest. As these purchases increase, so does the range of issues some are finding with the plants. As hybridization on holiday cactus plants expands, more people are bringing them into their homes to decorate for holidays.