Christmas Cactus – Propagation Care and Growing
The most important disease causing problem for Christmas cactus is caused by fungus – Fusarium oxysporum. Stem lesions are water soaked initially, and rapidly enlarge to reddish brown areas which appear sunken or mushy.
The fungus spores love this environment and it is easy to find the dusty yellow-brown covering of spores. Splashing water moves these spores to uninfected areas of the plant or other plants in the propagation area resulting in a rapid spread of disease. Christmas cactus growers monitor and watch for fungus problems as they can spread rapidly through stock bed areas. The key to control of Fusarium fungus disease on christmas cacti must begin clean stock. Keep cutting as dry as possible until the root.
What About Fungus Gnats?
Fungus gnats can at times also contribute to problems with Zygocactus (Christmas cactus) or Peperomia. This necrosis or rotting at the soil line is illustrated in picture.
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Related Articles Of Interest:
- How to Make Your Christmas Cactus Bloom
- Cactus and Succulents – Growing at Home
- RX for Healthy House Plants-Part-2
- RX for Healthy House Plants – Part 4
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My Begonia, its a Begonia argenteo-guttata (Trout Begonia) and I dont know whats wrong with it, i think it may be a nutrients dificiency or a disease,to save my christmas cactus I propogated it into this pot because I felt that its environment matched the begonias but its also growing weird, i dont fertilize my plants I keep the soil moist or let it dry a little,about 3 hours of direct sunlight a day indoors with a fan on them and I’ve had it for about 3 years and it started doing this last year