They do droop when heavy and the longer the branches get they hang also.
The same side that was getting light in the store needs to have the light now.
It could be just from the support ring you removed.
Can you post another pic. I doubt it can suddenly decline this fast.

I just noticed yesterday my xmas cactus has buds but it didn't bloom at xmas...my fault.

Drooping is normal, wilting is not. Wilting is caused by one of two things, watering problems (over, under) & fungus. While Rhipsalidopsis needs a lot of water, it also needs perfect drainage. If it is in the soil it came in, I would suspect overwatering because most holiday cacti come in a heavy peaty soil. I would recommend taking it out of all the fancy stuff and let it sit on a plate if needed or a clay saucer if possible. Then keep an eye on the watering, do not let the soil separate from the pot, & water from the bottom, not the top, but do not let it sit in water for longer than half an hour. it is best to water in the sink or a bowl, then let it completely drain and replace to it's normal spot. Fungus can cause the plant to decline, this is quite common in peat grown holiday cacti. This ususally affects them if the fungus is splashed on the stems themselves, this is why you water from the bottom.

Remember, Rhipsalidopsis are epiphytic cacti, native to the jungles. They live in crooks of trees with little or no soil and really good drainage. They are excellent for mounted experiments for this very reason. Their roots are more for anchorage than for feeding of the plant. They get most of their nutrients through their stems by way of bird droppings & leaf litter, so a highly acidic fertilizer is called for.

After it has bloomed, pot up to the next size clay pot, wash as much of the old soil off as possible, then give it a bath in a fungicide as imsurance. Use a soil with no peat, with chunky stuff added, like orchid bark, pumice, gravel aquatic soil, oil dry, Turface MVP or LECA & perlite. Do not use sand. Water frequently, up to three times a week but let it drain before putting it back.

Folier feed 1/4 strength orchid or tomato fertilizer weekly. In October start feeding it with a bloom fert, 0-2-2 until December and then do not feed until new growth occurs in spring. In November start to cut back on watering to maybe once a week. This stimulates it's dry season, it also helps keep the plant from rotting during the winter.

good luck :)

Hi,

Thanks Mentha...I'm hoping the wilting is a water problem, as it was heavily watered and in a pretty dence soil medium. My gosh the pot was very heavy when I picked it up. Like I said, I did take it out of all the "fancy stuff". It's currently sitting on newspaper. I sat it on a sham wow (thats all I had at the time for soaking up water) and it wicked out a lot of the water. I will definitley repot and ammend the soil after it is done blooming. I'm not sure what some of the stuff you mentioned is, or where to get it. I have the perlite and orchid bark and when I repot my hoyas, I add some spagnum moss as well. Would that work?

Could you please describe bottom watering. Do you mean just set the pot in a bowl/sink for 1/2 hour or so?

I'm not second guessing your diagnosis about fungus. However, I got this plant from a high end flower/plant store, hoping they wouldn't put out substandard plants. But I guess one never knows, and the fungicide bath won't hurt. What would you recommend for this bath? I've read antibacterial dish soap is good, yes/no?

I have a TG cactus I will repot at the same time, as it is growing in a fairly heavy soil as well.

My oh my, I think plant growing was much funner when I didn't know as much. But then the plants weren't as pretty either. lol.

Heres some before and now pics hope this helps

Before

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Now side view
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top view
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It looks great! It does't look sick at all to me, I don't quite understand what your complaint is.

When you make your own mix, forget the sphagnum moss, it will hold too much water & behave like peat (hardening when dry), not a good idea.

One can keep the soil mixes simple by just using African Violet soil to which one adds more perlite or pumice. But Mentha's suggestions are all right & she really knows these kinds of plants. I'd follow her lead.

Just stay away from peat or sphagnum moss, both will absorb & hold water, which is the opposite of the fast draining one would want for this plant.

Thanks PG,...you don't think it took a turn for the worse? Maybe it's cuz I am so worried about it surviving I'm making more of it than necessary. My TG Cactus stands up and is nice and erect with just the normal arc in the segmants. Perhaps it is b/c I took the support ring out and the weight of the flowers and buds has caused it to hang.

I guess I didn't realize the moss wouldn't work, actually what I do in my hoyas is put it in the bottom of the pot to help keep the soil from running out when I water them. I don't mix it in the soil.

I'm not going to do anything until it is done blooming, and that may be awhile (which is fine, they are such pretty flowers). Then the potting mix and the pot will be changed.

Thanks so much for the reply.
Debi

Hi I really like these plants and I was looking every where for them but did not find any....I don't know much about them but yours sure has changed the way it looks..good luck I hope it keeps growing for you....
I have a thanksgiving cactus that is in full bloom right now it is standing upright and huge christmas cactus that hangs down very long branches of segments both plants given to me so I am hoping I can keep them both growing and blooming so I am very interested in these post about these plants keep us posted as to how your plant is doing, good luck again,........linda

I would keep an eye on the part dead center of the last picture. The yellowish green stem in particular. This could be a problem. It could either be the beginning of a corked stem or a couple diseases common to Holiday cacti.

Is it soft or mushy? Keep an eye out for blisters on this stem or spreading of the discolor. If blisters occur it is Edema, which will kill your plant if you don't take action immediately. Edema occurs when the growing media remains moist and the greenhouse air is cool and moist. The plant roots absorb water at a faster rate than is transpired through cells causing the cells to rupture. This rupturing of the epidermis and the inner cells causes the raised, crusty appearance on the underside of the stems. This can be fixed, however.

Fusarium wilt is also common and if it spreads, with no blisters this could be the problem. Fusarium is a virus which colonizes the water-conducting vessels (xylem) of the plant. As a result of this blockage and breakdown of xylem, symptoms appear in plants such as leaf wilting, yellowing and eventually plant death. Fusarium is used as an herbicide in South America, where Holiday cacti are native to. It is usually fatal to your plant, unless you can take cuttings of the noneffected areas quick enough.

I'm not trying to scare you, but make sure you keep the plant's soil as dry as possible until you can repot. If it were my plant, I'd take a few cuttings as insurance, then either take it back, or repot in new soil and pot immediately after a good bleach bath.

I don't think it looks to bad and could be from the support ring removal. Since you have mentioned how wet it is; could be from that also.
When you lift up the droopy branches is there resistance like it is strong? If so then it's probably ok. It not and completely wilting then yeah thats a problem. They are heavy and have small root systems so it can be hard to judge.
My mom had one years ago and it was in a 10 inch hanging pot and about 2 feet long and wide and they all hung down.
What size of pot is it in? It definatley looks maybe too small but as you said, you are waiting until after it's resting period.

Linda/Em, I'm surprised you couldn't find an EC..Did you ever make it to Home Depot? My Walmart isn't getting in any plants this summer cause they're remodeling, but other Walmarts had EC's. Most florist sell holiday cactus but want a small fortune. Don't give up..If you can find one now, they may or may not be in flower, but prices should be half price. And it should bloom for you next Easter..

Debi, I don't notice wilting either, but there is a spot in the center of the plant, Mentha pointed out. I had to recheck. That part is a bit yellow. Test to see if it's mushy. If it is, remove. You'll have a bald spot, but it's better than leaving it on.

When you said you removed the plant from the basket, you mentioned soil being wet..Did you recently water? If you did, being wet is normal, but if it's been several days or more since, there's a problem. Though EC need water, they don't like wet feet. Proper drainage is important.
Other than the one spot, your EC is as beautiful as ever. Toni

After seeing Debi's EC I made special attention to look for one when I went to the nursery...but they didn't have any. I was kind of bummed. A few days later I had to go to Wal-Mart for a few things and I always look in the plant section wherever I go...I just have to...and behold what I found. EC's! There were 7 of them and they all had the same red flowers, which I thought were quite pretty, but they didn't look very good. They were starting to wilt and shrivel because the soil was SO dry! They were $6 and in 4in. pots and I wasn't going to buy one because of the shriveling...but my nurturing side got the better of me and I had to save one.

It looks much better now that I've given it some water and some good light. It's nowhere near as large and beautiful as yours Debi, but someday it'll be a big lil' guy.

Good luck with yours Debi. I have faith you'll take excellent care of it and it'll grow and bloom for you for many years to come!

Bunny, 6.00! What's happening to Walmart? Usually after a holiday, their prices drop. A lot. Think they were down to 2.00 last Easter. 4" pots though.
Fading flowers are bound to happen, especially when a plant isn't watered, and I don't think WAlmart hires people to water plants..they sit until someone buys. Leftovers are drastically reduced or tossed and written off. Anyway, glad you found one..Red is so pretty..

Do you think this plant is dead? Got it from my MIL who had it in her basement all winter. I tried watering it (was bone dry when I got it) but it hasn't helped. Was going to try and trim it back, but just not sure if that is the right thing to do. It is very limp. Please help if you can. Thanks.

Get a spray bottle and spray the stems regularly which will help the stem segments rejuvenate. This won't happen in a day or even two, but will slowly help to bring the plant turgidity back. It probably has damaged roots so you don't need a lot of water in the soil. For a plant in this condition, I usually pour in a bit around the base of the plant to try to encourage new roots but not enough to let it sit in wet soil for any period of time. By around the base of the plant, I mean just enough to create a circle of damp soil around the base, surrounded by dry soil. The dry soil will help draw the water away from the plant.

Thank you!