Thank you for the response! They are looking dried out. If I cut the green and re root, do you think they would do fine all in the same pot? Or would you separate if it were you?

You're welcome, Kate.

They should do just fine grouped together - unless if you wanted more pots.

Best, Jude

Loking at the photo, I can't tell for sure, but it looks like corking, and that is a 'natural' thing. It starts from the base of plants and continues. If it starts anywhere else on plant, it is for different, more serious reasons. Sunburn, chemical burn (phototoxicity) or frost damage could look quite similar too. Even some bug damage could look similar (spider mites?)

I see that one of the segments has lost just about all that dry-looking part: did you try to brake it off? Just wondering - not trying to alarm you. Rooting healthy cuttings is probably a good option.

Hi Kate,

I'd start over to give these guys the best chance.

I'd get a new pot one size smaller, plastic, I'd cut off all the green parts & toss the rest. Get some fresh soil, like African Violet or Cactus & Succulent mix & some small bark (I use Reptibark from the pet store), & some Perlite. Mix up abt 1/3 each, mix well in a can or bag.

Push each segment down abt one inch into the new mix, prop up w/ rocks (if needed) & wait a day or 2 to water, since they have no roots. Give bright, indirect light, like edge of window.

Thank you all! Rina, some part is corking I believe, the other is just dried and yes I did break off the dried leaf area to see if there was a thicker stem much like the corked sections... but there is not. I’ll leave the branches that are naturally corked and doing well, and cut the healthy green from the dried to regrow.

Karen, I rooted some clippings in water a few months ago. Have you done any propagation with these in water? Do you have experience with the soil propagation working? I’d like to add them all together in one pot; the stems already rooted with water and the new ones I cut.

Yes, I do have experience w/ water rooting, but not of these, cause holiday cacti root so readily in mix, that I don't bother rooting them in water.

I'd strongly advise against planting the water rooted segments w/ the fresh cut ones, which cannot take up water w/out roots. Also I wouldn't put them in w/ the corked parts, recipes for failure as all 3 will have different watering requirements & that makes them incompatible for a shared pot.

Also, (sorry) but the large pot is now too large for the reduced amount of plant material, using it can cause rotting 'cause of too much soil staying wet longer than the plants can take it up. Recipe for rot troubles, unlikely to work well.

If you feel adventuresome, I'll suggest an experiment for you. You can keep growing your water rooted ones indefinitely in the water. Don't know if they'll bloom that way, but I've recently discovered these can do really well growing in hydro (just water), Look at this little beauty, how healthy it looks.

I had just tossed several pieces into a bit of water as a holding station, 'til I decided how I wanted to pot them. A bit later I noticed they were thriving, so I've left them there using some Leca stones (porous clay balls used in Hydro growing) in the bottom of the pot to support the cuttings & give the roots something to hold on to. I also use these 'netted' pots that came my way, somehow,

Here's another, bigger setup also doing well.

I just add a bit of water every couple of days & they're happy. This is my 1st year doing this, so I haven't thought abt blooming or fertilizer.

These above are 'true' Xmas cactus, my 1st pic is something called Rhipsalis elliptica. Not sure what yours is, maybe some Orchid cactus? These 3 are different kinds of cacti, but the common thing is they're all epiphytic cacti, growing in sometimes humid tropical forests, up in the trees, among the branches, not down in the soil. So I sort of think this set up here may more closely parallel their natural environment. So I'm playing w/ these bits & pieces & feel it's been worthwhile.

@Karen S. (7b, NYC) So healthy Karen. Very interesting.