Please don't laugh at her.
This is "Sally" and she's my Thanksgiving cactus which has been passed down from my great, great, grandmother. She is (by closest approximate) turning 130 this year. She still actively grows and her flowers bloom white.
Most plant people I talk to get really excited when I mention her age. I found this subreddit so I thought I'd share.
About 4 years ago she went through what I call her "great die off" and she lost most of her mass. I salvaged what was left and she's been this way ever since.
She's getting re-potted on Monday. I don't know if that will help revitalize her or not? For the most part I just keep her watered, in indirect sunlight, and let her do her thing (which is what her past keepers have always done).
Anyway, hope you guys enjoy!
by Sovereign_85
32 Comments
So cool, you can twist off some of the end pieces and put them directly back in the soil to bulk out the pot, takes a while but it will eventually root and make this already impressive plant look amazing
Why would we laugh at her! I hope I look that good at 130. Happy bday, Sally ❤️
Happy bday !
Grattis, Sally!
this is impressive to say the least. I had one from grandmother that was around 40 years old, unfortunately died last year
Sally looks her age
Amazing that Sally lived in world just beginning to have automobiles and football!
I didn’t realize these things were so hard to grow. I received a (very large) christmas cactus this year from someone, and have been giving away loads of clippings to people to trim it a bit and share the love (which I’ll keep doing, just not take for granted the amazing gift I received)
I showed my newly acquired false Christmas cactus friend this picture as inspiration!
These propagate really easily. Just keep cutting the long parts off to fill out the pot with them.
I mean. Barely.
I can’t keep these alive for shit. My dad gave me one and it bloomed this year and then it just died:(
Omg Sally you are amazing!
Why do you want do repot? For her size that pot almost seems a little big. Are you transferring to a smaller pot?
Beautiful story. And Sally too
So cool! My mom had one that was about 15 when it died and I thought that was old! I hope the repot goes well for her
Come on ol girl, pull through!!! Your great great great granddaughter loves you and she will tweak your current conditions so that you settle in comfortably and you can gets back to growing like I know you love to do. Happy for you OP!
I have started a bunch of pieces in water. They got roots pretty quick and I have about 3 separate pots full of them and they all look like Sally. Just kind of lifeless but much fuller, they are young’ns compared to her. Happy birthday Sally!
Hi Sally!!! That’s so freaking cool. I love that you’re taking her to get repotted at a nursery to avoid death and subsequent generational curse because that’s exactly what I would do too lmfao I don’t want no dead bad 130 year old plant juju on my hands either 😂 May Sally live another 130 years 🙌✨
Must’ve killed her a lot
130 years is amazing, what a family heirloom. She looks good for her age. A gentle repot into fresh, well-draining cactus mix will definitely help, just don’t size up too much. The fact that she’s still growing and blooming means you’re already giving her exactly what she needs.
Id never dream of laughing at such a beautifully aged lady! Shes perfect! Good luck with the repot and let us know what the nursery lady says!
Sally is so over this modern worlds BS that she will stick around just to see things get better
I love her! Her age is great. I have no experience with Thanksgiving Cactus, only Christmas Cactus. I have one of my mother’s, so it’s a 2 generation now. It’s at least from the 70s but possibly earlier. I hope it lasts as long as yours!
https://preview.redd.it/nhbftbyqv7rf1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3122d1b2dfce3b4b3a645f78c939b1a245810e10
In case they’re similar, I do bottom watering for mine. That’s how my mom had done it for decades. There is a layer of pebbles in a raised plate and the babe is able to drink when it wants between waterings.
My brother has the world’s greenest thumb. I’ll post what he said below:
“She’s probably overwatering it It likes to be relatively dry I water it at most once a week Sometimes every other week It has to drain between watering. If a piece falls off or is broken off it will sprout roots in a glass of water provided you change water every day”
https://preview.redd.it/bmxttij9x7rf1.jpeg?width=224&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=098178ec584ad3c097e492c3050b648b8a162faa
She was hailed-on recently so please ignore the scars, but when mine died back (60 years old) I got some beneficial bacteria, some balanced fertiliser and some eco sea weed.
I repotted it with some more grit because I’ve noticed for epiphytic cacti you don’t have to use orchid-like mixes. You can, and they do well, but you can also just do the gritty route for a well draining mix. I have a few different types of jungle cacti with similar needs that I bought as rejects and this has helped them recover nicely.
I’ll let you know if he does. He’s a dr. Maybe I should ask if plants can die of old age
https://preview.redd.it/bu59q9nvy7rf1.jpeg?width=224&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3ec18230157fe27fb1935c45e57b76e8c7bd4b18
Weird, my Christmas cactus just did this recently dropped half its foliage. I thought maybe root rot or pests but didn’t do anything and it’s recovered.
Do you have pics pre die off
Happy 130th, Sally!! Good luck OP! Please let us know how it goes and updates too.
Aww happy birthday Sally!! May you live happily another 100+ years!
Funnily enough, I have a thanksgiving cactus that I named Sally. She’s a baby at only 7 years old.
Y’all.. someone asked, and I managed to find a pic of her in the “before time” (aka pre-die off). She would have been around 125 here..
https://preview.redd.it/bvthmq8b58rf1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b086a7be952ae108df79c769e36540d902e277be