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Cactus dying : please help

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Magicman

Magicman

Rising Star
Hello '

A none psychedelic cactus that is of great centimentle value to me has started to falter.
I don't water it often, but have kept the same state of watering for months now, and it has been fine , i have also watered my other cacti with the same regularity and they are all fine . But all of a sudden it has lightened in colour, the skin has wrinkled somewhat , and today it seems to be going brownish from the base up and it even has one or two purple spots.I have watered it once since this has started and it didn't help . So my next thought is that it must be rot, but how could it start rotting with no change in routine, but more importantly ,what do i do ?

Thank you
 
I'm probably not the best person to comment on this however I sympathize with you on the health of your beloved cactus.

Is the cactus large enough to take a cutting of it?
 
Good vibes being sent your way.

Maybe some pictures will help someone help you.

Don't have enough experience to be useful here


Good luck
 
Yes, please post pics if possible. Sounds like rot to me. I'm sure someone here can lend some advice but that specimen may be done for.
:(

-JM
 
Sadly, im having a similar problem with a dying peyote button. Over watering is not the problem, I water it about once a month, maybe this isn't enough. Anyway Half of the peyote has shrunk and turned brown. Such a shame because it produced some beautiful flowers.
 
if its rotting from the base up, say a prayer, dig a grave

might be able to take a cutting if the rot hasn't spread too far up the core
some cacti dont propagate from cuttings as easily as others, and some are far easier to overwater than others during winter
 
yea it does sound like rot - brown is a good indicator of this. is it soft anywhere?

If it is a columnar cactus then this is how I have saved several.

Best bet is to dig it out.

then cut the bottom with a clean/sharp knife. take off pieces until the rot is not present. you are going to want to clean the knife well between cuts as rot can spread easily.

once you don't see rot anymore. take some powdered charcoal coat the wet base and leave to dry for like 3-4 days. then dust off well.

Then dip it in some water and then sprinkle some rooting powder on it.

put this in a pot full of really easily draining soil - which is nutrient rich.

Water well and pray.

The main reason they rot is poor drainage so make sure the soil is easily draining.

Good luck

PW
 
I really hope your cactus comes through but if he doesn't, make sure you give him back into the earth!

I had 6 plants die this past winter during a cold :( so i feel for you. But try not to feel too bad about it at the same time. Dieing is just as natural as living.
 
I would do what Primal Wisdom said except for the watering well after you apply rooting hormone. If there are no roots yet then having damp soil will only be providing help to the rot/mold, not the cactus. Leave the soil dry for a few weeks and then GENTLY check for roots or root buds. When you see those you can start to give a little bit of water. If you use 1/2 perlite and 1/2 cactus soil mix it will drain well. :)
 
elru said:
I would do what Primal Wisdom said except for the watering well after you apply rooting hormone. If there are no roots yet then having damp soil will only be providing help to the rot/mold, not the cactus. Leave the soil dry for a few weeks and then GENTLY check for roots or root buds. When you see those you can start to give a little bit of water. If you use 1/2 perlite and 1/2 cactus soil mix it will drain well. :)
Click to expand...


Oh dear, yeah thanks for pointing that out - I could have made him kill it for good - Yeah I meant leave till root buds appear - water well, pray.

My cacti send their love too :)

PW
 
For what it's worth, I've had some cacti succumb to fungus gnats. They produce larvae that feast on roots and can quickly cause infections. Have you noticed any bugs in the grow area? If so, I've successfully combatted them in the past by sprinkling diatomaceous earth on the surface of the soil. It dries out the critters and disrupts their lifecycle.

-JM
 
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