Cactus rot looks like soft, mushy, discolored patches on the plant’s stem or roots.   If you’ve ever walked up to your cactus and noticed it suddenly leaning over or feeling squishy to the touch, you’re likely dealing with cactus rot.   This common issue can sneak up on even … Read more

The best fertilizer for a Christmas cactus is a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer with a ratio like 20-20-20 or 10-10-10, applied at half strength during the growing season.   This type of fertilizer for a Christmas cactus provides equal parts nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which supports healthy leaves, strong roots, and … Read more

What you do with a Christmas cactus after it blooms is give it a little rest, then switch up its care routine to set the stage for another spectacular show of flowers.   Once those gorgeous blooms fade, the plant isn’t done with you—it’s just moving into a recovery phase … Read more

You do plenty of things with a cactus pear, especially when you realize how versatile this spiky fruit truly is.   If you’ve ever wondered what do you do with a cactus pear once it’s sitting on your counter, the short answer is that you can eat it raw, blend … Read more

Christmas cactus plants are tropical cacti that prefer a well-balanced diet of nutrients, and feeding them correctly is key to helping them flourish.   When you’re wondering what do you feed christmas cactus plants, the answer is a fertilizer that’s low in nitrogen and higher in potassium and phosphorus.   … Read more

What you feed cactus plants depends on the season, the type of cactus, and the specific nutrients they need to thrive.   Feeding cactus plants isn’t like feeding your lawn or your tomato patch, because these desert natives have very different needs.   When you feed cactus plants correctly, you … Read more

To make a Christmas cactus bloom, you need to recreate its natural tropical environment with specific light, temperature, and watering changes starting in the fall.   If you’ve been wondering what do you do to make a christmas cactus bloom, the secret isn’t more fertilizer or a bigger pot, it’s … Read more

Mealybugs on cactus are caused by a combo of environmental stress, improper care, and sometimes just bringing home an already-infested plant.   These tiny white pests love the cozy, dry conditions cacti thrive in, and they can quickly turn your spiky friend into a sticky, cottony mess.   If you’ve … Read more

Holes in saguaro cactus are almost always caused by birds, primarily the Gila woodpecker and gilded flicker.   These birds don’t create holes in saguaro cactus for food, but instead they excavate nesting cavities inside the living tissue of the cactus.   When you spot holes in saguaro cactus, you … Read more

Christmas cactus turning purple is usually a sign of stress, but it’s not always a bad thing.   When a Christmas cactus turns purple, it’s often reacting to its environment in a way that can actually be reversed or even embraced.   The purple hue you see on the leaves, … Read more