Christmas Cactus brown spots - Ask Extension
Not sure how old this plant is, inherited a few years ago, was near death, has not bloomed. Repotted about 10 months ago in cactus soil from Bachmanns...
Knowledgebase
Christmas Cactus brown spots #925249
Asked March 01, 2026, 4:40 PM EST
Not sure how old this plant is, inherited a few years ago, was near death, has not bloomed. Repotted about 10 months ago in cactus soil from Bachmanns. It sure is sending out new growth.
Am I under-watering, or over-watering? Brown spots on the newer growth... there are three drainage/drill holes in bottom of pot. Sometimes the very newest smallest end sections seem to just dry up and die.
help!
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
The following are research based sources on Christmas Cactus. https://extension.umn.edu/houseplants/holiday-cacti
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/holiday-cactus/
The brown spots appear to be on the older growth which may be the result of the poor care that that plant had before you received it. These pages may or may not describe your exact problem.
https://ask.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=589192
https://garden.org/thread/view/120017/Christmas-cactus-spotting/
You can always take cuttings and allow them to root and grow into a new plant.
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/holiday-cactus/
The brown spots appear to be on the older growth which may be the result of the poor care that that plant had before you received it. These pages may or may not describe your exact problem.
https://ask.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=589192
https://garden.org/thread/view/120017/Christmas-cactus-spotting/
You can always take cuttings and allow them to root and grow into a new plant.
