Question
My son gave me this cactus a year ago.  It's fan shape was very intriguing.  However, it seems to be folding up.  It has grown one small fan shaped addition.  That is also curling up.  He told me it would need repotting.  I do not water it often.  I am wondering if my house is too cool for the cactus.  Should this be fertilized?  Also my daughter gave me a Kalamanchoe plant for Mother's Day.  The tag gives me no instructions on whether or not this is an indoor or outdoor plant.  Is this a perennial or annual (if an outdoor plant) I love the color and it goes well with my interior decor.  I also need to re-pot this. I am looking forward to your professional input.  Thank you

Answer
Hi Jeannie,

Your Coral Cctus does not need repotting. It has a small, fine root system that needs to dry out quickly after watering. A larger pot would prevent that.

Inadequate light and improper watering are two possible reasons for the fan portions of your Cactus folding up. This plant requires lots of direct sunlight all day long, so unless it has been kept on a sunny windowsill than that is the likely cause. This is also a plant that needs the soil to dry deep into the pot before any water is added. Depending on the size of the pot and the plant that might take a couple of weeks. Keeping the soil either too moist or too dry will cause the roots to die back and the fans to fold up. Fertilizer will not help. Move your plant to a sunny windowsill and pay close attention to the watering.

Kalanchoes come from warm climates so unless you live in a frost-free climate, you will have to keep your Kalanchoe as an indoor plant. It also does best in bright light and needs to dry out a quarter of the way deep into the pot before watering. If you repot it, you will risk overwatering and will certainly disrupt any flowering.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

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