Thanksgiving cactus how to#
Thanksgiving cactus plus#

If you have repotted within the last three years then your Christmas cactus leaves turning purple is more than likely going to be because of nutrition or location. It is important to remember that Christmas cactus actually enjoy having cozy roots so the turning of purple leaves will only be due to crowdedness if it has been in the same pot for three-four years. If your houseplant is rootbound then it may not be absorbing all the nutrients you’re giving it. If you are certain that you have been fertilizing your Christmas cactus correctly and it has no nutritional problems, then your Christmas cactus turning purple and wilting could be because of crowded roots. Instead, you will be left with a gorgeous plant with vibrant pinks and reds that look wonderful indoors and outdoors. Following these nutritional guidelines will ensure that when the plant blooms for the holiday season, you won’t be asking yourself ‘why is my Christmas cactus turning purple?’. Never fertilize when the cactus flowers as this will cause the buds to fall off. We would always advise using a fertilizer that is high in Phosphorus. Half-strength water-soluble formulas work well and will do the trick. If you are really set on making your own fertilizer to stop your Christmas cactus turning purple, then you should remember the basic formula of 20-20-20 or 20-10-20. Coffee grounds increase the acidity of your soil but if it is already between 5.8 – 7 pH, then you’re better off just popping to your local garden center or ordering a fertilizer online to increase the nutrition of your Christmas cactus. This is because coffee is only beneficial on Christmas cactus if you ARE NOT using acidic soil. However, if you are unsure of what type of soil you are currently using, then it is best to use a general-purpose cactus fertilizer to stop your Christmas cactus leaves turning purple. This is because coffee contains a considerable amount of magnesium and potassium. A great alternative is putting coffee grounds on Christmas cactus.

Many gardeners like to use their own homemade fertilizer instead of using a shop-bought product. You should stop fertilizing at the beginning of October to encourage your Christmas cactus to bloom. This should be done once a month on top of your regular fertilizing but make sure it’s on a different week! It’s also worth mentioning that Christmas cacti need more magnesium than most other indoor plants so you should also be mixing 1 teaspoon of Epsom salts with 1 gallon of water for additional feeding.

Thanksgiving cactus plus#

I always buy Schultz Cactus Plus 2-7-7 liquid Plant Food because it’s affordable, easy to use, and works well. Christmas cactus doesn’t need fertilizing whilst in bloom, but through months April – October you should be fertilizing every two to four weeks with a general-purpose indoor fertilizer. Cacti need fertilizing, no matter the type. The first and foremost reason you’ll notice Christmas cactus leaves turning purple is for nutritional reasons. Let’s get onto the first reason why your Christmas cactus is turning purple and has wilting leaves… Nutrition

Why do Christmas cactus leaves turn purple?

Thanksgiving cactus how to#

We are now going to go into detail on how to resolve the issue but if unfortunately, your plant hasn’t managed to bloom this holiday season, we have a blog guiding you on how to force a Christmas cactus to bloom and will answer the impending question of ‘ why is my Christmas cactus not blooming? ’. If you’re sitting asking yourself ‘why do Christmas cactus leaves turn purple?’ and are coming to a dead-end, then don’t panic as we have all the most common reasons detailed below.ĩ/10 times, when you’re asking yourself ‘why is my Christmas cactus turning purple?’, it will be one of three reasons and these are: When your Thanksgiving, Easter, or Christmas cactus comes into bloom, you should see an array of vibrant pinks and reds! But if you notice the Christmas cactus leaves turning purple on the edges, then more often than not your plant is trying to tell you that something is wrong. 3.1 Related Posts: Christmas cactus leaves turning purple