Question
i have a christmas cactus that was left outside and froze it is not looking to good right now. it was my grandmothers do you think anything will save it?

Answer
These plants need long nights and cool temperatures -- around 50 degrees F -- to set blooms.  But they are not hardy.  Frost will quickly damage tissue and destroy the plant.

The short answer here: No.

But I could be wrong.  It's certainly worth a try.  Keep it in a warm room on a bright windowsill.  See if there was enough undamaged tissue left to recover.  You never know.  That's the truth.

Oh, and one more thing:  Don't feel so bad about losing this plant.

I know, I know.  It belonged to your grandmother.  You're feeling guilty.  And you're wishing that you had been more careful.  You're Monday Morning Quarterbacking all over the place.  We do that.  I know exactly how you feel.

But Edie, this is the way it goes.  And it's not bad.  It's good.

Yes, you read that right.  It's GOOD.

How can it be good?  You killed your grandmother's Epiphyllum?  I'm saying that's good?

Yes.  That's exactly what I'm saying.

If of course it's dead.  You don't know if you have not waited for recovery.  Don't fertilize, don't overwater, just keep it moist, and wait.  Wait.  Watch.  See what happens.

But while you're doing that, consider the point that we learn from our mistakes.  And what your grandmother may have done here without knowing it ever is, She taught you a lesson.

You know what events transpired to cause damage to the tissue of this Epiphyllum.  Which I bet looked beautiful in bloom.

And now you know what the damage looks like.  And maybe you'll even know how much damage you can do before it will recover.  Or when it's time to throw in the towel and call it a day.

So here's what you should do, Edie.

Go buy another one.

Study it, the way it grows, the soil it's potted in, how it compares with your grandmother's specimen.  LEARN from this mistake.

And one more thing: Edie, no gardener has ever NOT lost a plant.  We kill things right and left.  That's where those green thumbs come from.  Lots of mistakes.

This is a plant and it is a process, and you can get more out of this than just blooms.  You can learn from it.

Keep that in mind as you watch this plant, for better or for worse.  To err is human.  Your thumb, when this episode is finished, will be greener, Edie.

Keep me posted.  I'd like to know how it goes.  Thanks for writing.