---
title: "What's wrong with my Christmas cactus? I reported a month ago watered…"
description: "What's wrong with my Christmas cactus? I reported a month ago watered yesterday"
url: "https://getplanta.com/community/vOLjreBcQ-OpqrHIhVSc4w/64bb30aa02b638964df79e6c"
community: "The Cactus & Succulent Circle"
author: "MandiShell"
published: "2023-07-22T01:28:10.245Z"
language: "en"
image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/nflcNE3IWk6nuAVyrU81woOjWzaqgJ629HKN_f7-mEo/aa3bc6bb3f854b818377fe564c860aff.webp?size=large"
---

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# What's wrong with my Christmas cactus? I reported a month ago watered…

_Posted by MandiShell on 2023-07-22_

What's wrong with my Christmas cactus? I reported a month ago watered yesterday

![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/nflcNE3IWk6nuAVyrU81woOjWzaqgJ629HKN_f7-mEo/aa3bc6bb3f854b818377fe564c860aff.webp?size=large)

## 8 comments

### Rhonda commented on 2023-07-22

I can’t really tell a whole lot but it looks like at the base it’s crusty. Do you think maybe the soil washed away at the base of the plant? I’ve seen older ones that look like that at the base from years of being in contact with wet soil. But I’m having trouble interpreting what I’m seeing.  
On the down side, it could be a rotten stem. Maybe not. I know that they can rot like any plant (sorry I know that’s probably obvious). If you determine it’s rot, you could propagate the sections above it. Recently learned that if you can leave more than one segment on the soil together it propagates faster than a single segment.

### Rhonda commented on 2023-07-22

Oh, and if it’s rot you’ll need to check the other base stems and roots and remove rotted areas and replant in new soil and clean(ed) pot

#### MandiShell replied on 2023-07-22

Thank you for the help

### Carrie commented on 2023-07-23

I can’t tell for sure from the picture but sometimes repotting causes shock. Christmas cactus are pretty hardy. Did you use succulent/cactus soil when you repotted?

#### MandiShell replied on 2023-07-23

I did not

#### Carrie replied on 2023-07-23

Regular potting soil may be holding too much moisture on the roots. Let your soil completely dry out before watering again. Water thoroughly and then dry out completely. (Repeat) Next time you repot I would definitely recommend using succulent soil because it drains faster and doesn’t hold as much moisture.

### Dylan commented on 2023-07-23

These can live for decades and will start to develop bark on the main stalk as they age.

#### MandiShell replied on 2023-07-23

Thank you. It's like 2 years old

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