You've found the famous Dave's Garden website! Join this friendly global community that shares tips and ideas for home and gardens, along with seeds and plants!
Check out the DG homepage for a brief overview of what you'll find in this gardening mega-site.
Login
If you don't have an account yet, visit the registration page to sign up.
I would recommend repotting also. I could not tell from your picture but it looked like maybe there was a few shriveled up pieces in there. I water mine more during the suimmer because this is when they are actively growing. I also recommend not using a catus/succulent blend as these are "jungle" cacti.
I would soak the root ball to losten it up, and start loosening the rootball from the bottom. Be carefull to not damage the top of the plant as the leaf segments break off easily, if that happens dip them in root hormone and space them about an inch apart. I found that if you put the whole pot in a zip lock bag and seal it you can really make the plant grow better. I have done that with one of mine. The humidity will make the roots on the segments grow and absorb the water drops that form on them. I would put a few small sticks in to keep the leaves off the plastic.
Depending on how large the rootball is you could divide it into several pieces. I prefer to keep mine quite full, so when it blooms it looks nicer. The roots are pretty hardy so even if you break some(and you will) the plant wont suffer, if anything the plant will probobly respond better to this treatment. Good luck, and happy gardening!
Yes, I do this when I repot and I leave it for about a month, and has worked for me well. I also think that this is the right time of year for it. I put mine outdoors in the shade now, and I will leave them until the nights get cool, but not below 32 degrees, as it will kill the plant, but the cool summer nights will initiate the bloom cycle. Good luck
When I had an Xmas cactus on my desk (waaaaay back when I had a desk job)... it didn't like to be too wet, so I'd usually wait until it got a little "bony" down the center of the leaves and droopy before I watered it again. Then I'd watch it perk right back up within an hour or so. It flowered pretty often too, so I guess it liked me...
