Thomas Anonymous, May 31, 2008 #1. joclyn Rising Contributor. When this happens, water again and don’t give any more until the compost has dried out once again. Last winter after blooming, my beautiful 15 year old Christmas cactus, which I grew from clippings, turned very pale, very thin and all the stalks dropped down the basket. During the fall, winter, and spring, both cactus columns grew fast. There are common cacti problems which can be resolved to ensure they are healthy. Hot Network Questions Formally, what is AES? Healthy roots don't allow the plant to wiggle. As the term cactus includes a large number of varying cacti species, there exists a significant number of fungal diseases and bacterial problems that can cause the flesh of a cactus to turn black. When you poke your cactus it shouldn't be able to move. If you really need to water it, water the top most part only. As a rule of thumb, water your Christmas Cactus about once a week or only when the soil feels dry in the top 1 inch of the soil, Use a well-draining soil also by preparing your own mix consisting of 75 percent good quality potting soil and 25 percent perlite. What should I do. Placement. Basically, I know of three reasons why a cactus can turn yellow: 1. Verified. Luckily most of them are reversible/fixable. First carefully poke your cacti, How does the body itself feel? For instance, in summer months you will need to water your cactus ones every 2 weeks in order to fulfill your cactus watering needs. Are they getting too much sun? A cactus that turns black may have suffered freeze damage. Should I change the soil. My baby cactuses are turning white --- I have them under a plastic enclosure outside in the sun. Sometimes just the roots will rot off, but often times the whole plant will turn to mush. My Succulents Are Turning Yellow. Could be burns from low angle sunshine through your window that hits there due to some reflection. Every year, your cactus will get bigger and more impressively beautiful. Avoid placing it in an area in your house where it will get direct sunlight, especially during the summer. Once your Christmas Cactus turns brown, you should be on high alert. 2 Cut away rotting parts. Show More. In the summer months, you will experience times you will have to water once every 2 weeks depending on how hot your area is. Viewed 943 times 8. The Christmas Cactus often does better when the pot is a little smaller than you’d think it needs. First. Why are some of the leaves on my Christmas cactus turning pale green/nearly transparent or white? Most of the species bloom at night and are pollinated by butterflies or by bats. 2 years ago. This change of color seemed to begin this past summer when I set the plant on the north-facing front porch. Just bear in mind that these color changes can also indicate other issues such as overwatering or disease. Just remember, cacti only need sufficient water to prevent them from shriveling. Even with the best care, some species of cactus will shrivel once per year as they go into a dormant state for several months. Recently one of my cacti seemed to be shriveling from the bottom and working its way up. The Possible Reasons Why Your Cactus is Turning Yellow. One of the telltale signs of a problem is a soft, mushy cactus. I watered it again and same problem. When we got home I gave it water & water just ran out of bottom of pot. What could be the issue? When we got home I gave it water & water just ran out of bottom of pot. To distinguish rot from shriveling you can do a few things. The same goes for cacti. Often freeze damage exhibits at first on a cactus' exterior as pale to yellow, turning black, tan or brown, depending on the species and the extent of damage. If the roots are brown or black and if they smell of a musty odor or they look musty in appearance, it more than likely means your plant has developed root rot.