I have a Thanksgiving cactus that I've had for several years, and it has given me quite the struggle. 11 years ago, I had an interstate move and the plant did not take it well. The base suffered extensively, and I had to reach the decision to take clippings, propagate the healthy parts, and hold out.

Four of those clippings rooted, sprouted, and grew over the next decade. However, I'm noticing the same signs of what happened after the move. Pads (quite large segments in some cases) are falling off. I'm always concerned with overwatering these plants, and I feel like I've been good about waiting for the top of the soil to dry out before watering, using gauges, etc. This is adding to my confusion.

Once again, I have taken clippings, but this time around, I have struggled with those too. Ones that I try to soil propagate never seem to root, and they end up getting destroyed by the moist soil. Ones I propagate in water will root, but as soon as I get them into soil, they don't seem to grow.

I would love to think that the "original" plant can survive, so if anyone has any advice there, I'd appreciate it. However, with the healthy pad drop, I'm inclined to believe the roots are just not okay and the plant is jettisoning its healthy segments. Though, again, I'm confused because I see new pads also growing. I am also curious if people have suggestions on propagation, soil choices, etc. My past experiences and available sites/resources describe a far simpler propagation process, but I am struggling to get them to stick in 2024. Anyhoo, thanks for any guidance.

There are people who have better luck keeping older individuals alive but my story is similar to yours, with some inconsistency on my part causing the plant to decline every few years. The perky new growth of younger stems is what is attractive to me so I don't stress about discarding the old woody trunk and keeping the young parts.

Have you tried laying pieces about 2-3 segments long on the soil surface? I have much better luck that way than trying to stand them up straight.



If you want to try standing up again, let the pieces dry for a couple days after cutting, so the wound is dried and sealed. Theoretically that will reduce the risk of rotting but there are no guarantees. Do you already know that roots can only form at a joint where 2 segments meet. If that's news, maybe you're not sticking them deep enough so that a joint is buried. When sticking in soil has worked for me, that seemed to increase the success rate.

If what you have is fresh pieces that came from the original plant, it's still the original plant, IMVHO, just not the original stem or roots. This is not the only one of my plants that are kept this way. Even if the plants grow, my house does not, so keeping them to a reasonable size is required. Some might disagree. It's really up to you to decide how you want to categorize it in your mind.

IDK if Wing is coming back, but this is a great time of year to trim these cacti and start new ones.