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Dying Easter plant needs drastic help

by Tamie
(Halfmoon, ny USA)

I have an Easter plant that is almost a hundred years old.. It bloomed beautifully up until about a year ago. I have been to a few garden centers and followed all the advice I was given and it is still looking worse by the day. The leaves are almost completely flattened and soft and this was after replanting with cactus potting soil and fertilizer. I've kept it with filtered light and then sunlight during the day and nothing seems to be working. Any suggestions

Comments for Dying Easter plant needs drastic help

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Feb 13, 2021

Dormancy
by: Jacki Cammidge, Certified Horticulturist

These plants need a summer dormancy, where you hang them outside in a tree for a month or two, and water them when it rains, but otherwise ignore them.

Repotting and fertilizing a sick plant is a death warrant, but hopefully there is still hope. I suggest you keep it in a bright window, and water only occasionally until summertime. It's unlikely to bloom this year, and in fact, if it does, I would pull the flowers off so as to save its energy.

These are long lived plants, but eventually even they will die, so it's good to take some cuttings to keep it going.

See more about a similar plant, Christmas cactus here.

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