--- title: "This beautiful cactus was my mother’s, it’s about 40 +years old, got…" description: "This beautiful cactus was my mother’s, it’s about 40 +years old, got sickly looking a couple weeks ago, Does anyone have a tip? I know she needs no water, had…" url: "https://getplanta.com/community/lZ7uAE3pQ86jnFGxrCwLrg/ZRQU5r5PRu216-MF5Snalg" community: "Anything about plants" author: "Skylar" published: "2024-06-23T05:21:08.282328Z" language: "en" image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/nqWThoORue7hJXoxV7gccQSSkHqrgsI88c1xHkn0wQ0/wLOwGI3rSrODIUn-VosIRA.webp?size=large" --- [Community](https://getplanta.com/community.md) / [Anything about plants](https://getplanta.com/community/lZ7uAE3pQ86jnFGxrCwLrg.md) # This beautiful cactus was my mother’s, it’s about 40 +years old, got… _Posted by Skylar on 2024-06-23_ This beautiful cactus was my mother’s, it’s about 40 +years old, got sickly looking a couple weeks ago, Does anyone have a tip? I know she needs no water, had a break near the root, tried to winch it together, hoping it might heal, but still not doing very good. in a glass pot with no drainage, I’m afraid to repot it as I don’t want to traumatize it any further 🤷‍♀️ ![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/nqWThoORue7hJXoxV7gccQSSkHqrgsI88c1xHkn0wQ0/wLOwGI3rSrODIUn-VosIRA.webp?size=large) ## 6 comments ### Guenon commented on 2024-06-23 Wow, 40 years! Most likely it’s a Christmas cactus, and actually doesn’t look that bad. You say it’s been going downhill. I don’t know what you mean by that but the leaves look a bit limp and dull, should have more of a sheen. You could have root problems. These guys can be managed in a container with no drainage, but that can be a little tricky. I’d repot it. The size of pot to use will be determined by the extent of its root system. First thing I’d do would be to take it from the pot it’s in and place it in a bowl. Holiday cacti have very fine roots so you want to be careful not to damage them. The plant could have root rot. if so, you’ll smell it, not pleasant. If there are rotten roots, you’ll need to carefully separate them from the viable roots if there are any. I’d leave it in the bowl and let it dry out, as I’m suspecting the soil will be pretty damp if not wet. once it’s dry enough to manage then go about separating the good roots from the bad if this is the case. when you repot you don’t want to use a pot that’s overly large. Holiday cacti do better when they’re a bit root bound. Repot using a succulent mix. If all the roots have rotted, the plant can still be saved rather easily. Good luck and good growing! ### send\_nodes commented on 2024-06-23 That’s amazing! I agree with the other comment about checking the roots etc, but wanted to mention that these guys are tropical cacti, so they actually like high humidity and cooler temperatures compared to desert cacti. In the wild, they mostly live in shaded areas, so too much direct sunlight can cause stress on the plant ### Sunny commented on 2024-06-23 The wrinkled, thin and dull leaves indicate it needs water. Maybe the break has slowed the spread of water from the roots if the soil is still wet. ### Debbie commented on 2024-06-23 I was under watering my cactus. Once I started misting and increasing frequency of watering-I have gotten a lot of new growth. Follow app recommendations for watering and light. Good luck! I have plants with sentimental attachments too. ### Kate commented on 2024-06-23 Tbh, it looks thirsty! I’d definitely check the roots before watering but if the roots are okay repot and water! ### Skylar commented on 2024-06-23 Thank you everyone, I will definitely try these recommendations, hopefully I can post a healthy update in a few weeks 😊 --- _Source: the Planta community (https://getplanta.com). Reading is open to everyone. To post, comment and like, get the Planta app: https://getplanta.com/download_