Hello all,

I have this little Rhipsalis Mesembryanthemoides. I am not so sure about its needs, I found inconsistent information on the internet: some say it needs to stay moist at all times, some say it needs to dry out during winter and even others say it needs to be watered when dry. So I am unsure about that. Also for the light, some people claim it needs full sun and others say it dies if exposed to full sun! I am totally confused.

In the beginning, I watered it once weekly and kept it slightly moist, but I noticed that it drops some of these little rice grain shaped leaves/twigs. So I reduced watering a bit and let it dry out for 2 weeks or 3 weeks (cannot remember 100% sure) and now I notice some of these "rice grains" have dried out and become brown?!

However I also need to be honest the plant does not get a ton of light at my place as it is winter here now and it is foggy/cloudy almost all day. Haven't seen the sun for ages, at least it feels like so. I am thinking about building a growlight.

So my questions: is the browning of some of these twigs something I should be worried about quite a lot, or is it normal to some degree during winter time? or has it become sick? further, what about the watering? and how can I propagate it? I would like to have a second one of these because I don't want to lose it at all, I like this little thing. Its cute :-)
I have already tried to propagate it but maybe wrong: I cut off one little stem about 3cm in length and stick it in soul. It stayed green for quite a while, and then rotted at the base and never rooted. However I don't know where the nodes of this plant are, maybe I didn't have a node on my cutting. I had success with other Rhipsalis in water.

Maybe it will help if you understand a little more about Rhipsalis in general. They are epiphytic jungle cactus. Visualize your cactus growing on a tree branch somewhere above you but under the forest canopy. Lots of rain but no soil and never any direct sun. But its high enough up there that there's plenty of bright light. Its humid and rains a lot but, as your cactus is attached to a tree, the moisture is not held against the roots. The medium you choose should be fast draining but the roots should never be allowed to dry out. All my Rhipsalis are growing in orchid bark. In summer they are watered daily (because they hang with the orchids). In winter, a couple times a week.

You can start them from cuttings or leaves. The easiest way is to wait until you see tiny roots along the stem at a leaf junction. Cut it off, let the cutting sit for a day or so and plant it. Be careful not to overwater but keep it damp. The falling leaves will also grow plants where ever they land.

Your plant looks good. When it starts browning, its too dry. But if the potting "soil" is too dense, the roots will rot. The best pot is the smallest one you can fit the roots into.

Hey Daisy,
thanks for your hints!

I hope my plant stays as it is or can regrow some of the little stems that became brown.
Also thanks for the hints concerning the watering - I now check the soil frequently and try to keep it slightly moist.

We have winter now and days are short and dark, so I hope my little Rhipsalis will survive this exhausting time well.

Also thanks for the tips how to propagate it. Is it possible to do so in water?

I don't know if you can start a piece in water. I don't start plants in water I intend to put in soil because the transition from water to soil is sometimes too much for tender young roots to survive.

Hey Daisy!
do you know what could be wrong with my little Rhipsalis? it drops a lot of these small, rice grain shaped leaves :-(
this poor little guy must be suffering from something, if I only knew from what! the soil is slightly moist but not wet. But I already noticed he does not drink very much.
Temperature is also good, around 22 °C.
Humidity is OK I guess: 50%.
Its winter and a lot of my plants have a hard time because the days are so short. Therefore I tried to help the little Rhipsalis with a growlight, but that didnt make things better so its back where it was before, close to a window. No sun, and no drafts.

I hope he does not die. It is very precious :-(

here are two pictures.

I'm not sure what's going on. Any changes you make will take at least a month to become noticeable in the plant. So if you move it to more light, give it a month to decide if that was the right move. If it was overwatered, the bottom leaves would be yellowing. I think it needs more light.

hopefully you are right! I moved it now to a slightly better window and purchased a brighter daylight LED to provide more light.
I think if it survives until spring, then all is good. Just checked the soil, it is slightly damp, but not wet. And not dry also. I would say it should be quite fine.
Notice that some of these little leaves are dried out - could that also be a sign of not enough light?
obviously, the humidity cannot be the issue as the soil is still slightly damp.
I also didn't find any pests by the way.

Hey Daisy,
I just read somewhere else that Rhipsalis can drop their leaves if overwatered.
What do you think, is it possible to save the plant if I stop watering and just let it be? or is the plant damaged too much already when it drops its leaves?

I don't think its overwatered but go ahead and try. Remember it takes awhile for a plant to respond to changes in environment.

Mine is watered daily because it lives with my orchids. It dropped lots of leaves when it lived with my succulents and was allowed to dry. In habitat, the are epiphytic jungle cactus. That means they grow attached to trees in a wet environment. The growing medium has to be wet then dry, just like if it were attached to a tree.

So if anything, your medium isn't drying fast enough.