Lophophora cactus sick

[Ulim]

What happened to it?
When I got it it was nice and green but now the skin turned brown on the edges.
Its under an grow lamp that is right now set to 12 hours light per day.
I also water it about once a week and I make sure its dry before I put it back.
Even the small buds that are still half buried turned brown like that.
I looked up some info and it looks similar to this but I have not found a single mite on the cactus yet and I dont really think it has them because its in a small plastic container that acts as a glasshouse to keep it warm.
Also I dont know if its a diffusa or williamsi but I dont cultivate it to eat it anyways.
The soil its in is a mix of normal potting soil, fine quarz sand, limestone gravel and bigger stone shards of some volcanic kind.

 

[Wolfnippletip]

It kinda looks like it's burnt, except the brown is a little too even for that. . Did you put it under the lights before the roots were well developed? I'd get a magnifying glass and look long and close at it to see if it's bugs. To see bugs I've had to magnify and sit still for 30 seconds to a minute concentrating on one area and waiting until something moves.

 

[Continuum]

Yeah, it really looks like mites or scale or something.

That being said, 12 hours of light is way to much for a peyote. They are under brush and stuff in their native habitat, and you want to try to recreate those conditions.

 

[Wolfnippletip]

It may not be the most Green or popular method, but a grocery store bug bomb will make quick work of most insect type pests. Just set one off in a room with the plants and shut the doors and leave it for a day.

 

[Ulim]

It may not be the most Green or popular method, but a grocery store bug bomb will make quick work of most insect type pests. Just set one off in a room with the plants and shut the doors and leave it for a day.

I think im just gonna try the oil method to get rid of them.
If all fails im just gonna take a cloth dumped in alcohol and put it over the cactus for a day.

 

[Ufostrahlen]

It may not be the most Green or popular method, but a grocery store bug bomb will make quick work of most insect type pests. Just set one off in a room with the plants and shut the doors and leave it for a day.

I think im just gonna try the oil method to get rid of them.
If all fails im just gonna take a cloth dumped in alcohol and put it over the cactus for a day.

Unhealthy Peote - Need help!! - Cultivation - Welcome to the DMT-Nexus

Peyote gets hard skin - Cultivation - Welcome to the DMT-Nexus

 

[Ulim]

It may not be the most Green or popular method, but a grocery store bug bomb will make quick work of most insect type pests. Just set one off in a room with the plants and shut the doors and leave it for a day.

I think im just gonna try the oil method to get rid of them.
If all fails im just gonna take a cloth dumped in alcohol and put it over the cactus for a day.

Unhealthy Peote - Need help!! - Cultivation - Welcome to the DMT-Nexus

Peyote gets hard skin - Cultivation - Welcome to the DMT-Nexus

Ok from what I read alcohol is the way. This really ticks me off. I got a ton of succulents and cacti in my room as well as some pretty delicate bonsai but its my loph that gets caught.
While each of my other plants is totally clean.
I just hit the loph with some ethanol and im going to let it evaporate off. I also sprayed his greenhouse.

 

[Ufostrahlen]

I just hit the loph with some ethanol and im going to let it evaporate off. I also sprayed his greenhouse.

:thumb_up:

Also change the soil, that's not what Lophos like.

 

[Ulim]

I just hit the loph with some ethanol and im going to let it evaporate off. I also sprayed his greenhouse.

:thumb_up:

Also change the soil, that's not what Lophos like.

I already described the soil its sand, limestone gravel, volcanic shard and moler with just a little bit of dirt. Its actually way less dirt than you can tell from the picture.
Should I fully remove the dirt? I was going to change the soil anyways in case some buggers placed their eggs in it.

 

[Ufostrahlen]

I already described the soil its sand, limestone gravel, volcanic shard and moler with just a little bit of dirt. Its actually way less dirt than you can tell from the picture.
Should I fully remove the dirt? I was going to change the soil anyways in case some buggers placed their eggs in it.

It looks too moist for my taste, Lophos are from desert like areas. 100% mineral soil is what they like. Also organic matter is more prone to pests and mold.

Btw, you can leave Lophos in full sunlight at temperatures @ 30-35°C, they don't mind, if they get a little water here and there (but not soaking wet soil). Grow lamps are way too weak to harm them. So the shadow theory is a myth imo.

 

[Ulim]

I already described the soil its sand, limestone gravel, volcanic shard and moler with just a little bit of dirt. Its actually way less dirt than you can tell from the picture.
Should I fully remove the dirt? I was going to change the soil anyways in case some buggers placed their eggs in it.

It looks to moist for my taste, Lophos are from desert like areas. 100% mineral soil is what they like. Also organic matter is more prone to pests and mold.

Btw, you can leave Lophos in full sunlight at temperatures @ 30-35°C, they don't mind, if they get a little water here and there (but not soaking wet soil). Grow lamps are way too weak to harm them. So the shadow theory is a myth imo.

Yeah i was wondering how a cacti can have to much light if you do 12h a day. And its not like a 1000w lamp. Its like a desktop lamp only instead of white light it gives off this blue reddish mix thats best for chlorophyll, And because its LED it does not heat the cactus at all.

Im gonna get a Loph. Williamsi Texana soon. They are supposed to be the most resillient. Need to go buy a trap for bugs soon.

 

[Ufostrahlen]

Yeah i was wondering how a cacti can have to much light if you do 12h a day. And its not like a 1000w lamp. Its like a desktop lamp only instead of white light it gives off this blue reddish mix thats best for chlorophyll, And because its LED it does not heat the cactus at all.

You don't need a growing lamp at all if you want to save on electricity. If you have them under a roof window in Denmark, NL or continental Europe, that's sufficient. Doesn't have to be Texas or Spain. They like warmth, some water, sufficient light and some fertilizer. Once the spring sun hits the roof window in May, temperatures in full sun light are ~ 20-30°C - ideal for them. They show you that they like the environment by blossoming once they are mature. Same goes for Pedros.

 

[DansMaTete]

Btw, you can leave Lophos in full sunlight at temperatures @ 30-35°C, they don't mind, if they get a little water here and there (but not soaking wet soil). Grow lamps are way too weak to harm them. So the shadow theory is a myth imo.

I've to say that when the sun is very hot (30°C, no wind) some of my loph can become soft to the point i worry, and i have to put them in a spot where they get shade in the hotest hours of the day. I'm not sure the problem is too much sun, i suppose the main problem is the pot/soil becoming too hot for their roots.

I don't think it applies to OP's problem, i'm just saying.

 

[Ulim]

Yeah i was wondering how a cacti can have to much light if you do 12h a day. And its not like a 1000w lamp. Its like a desktop lamp only instead of white light it gives off this blue reddish mix thats best for chlorophyll, And because its LED it does not heat the cactus at all.

You don't need a growing lamp at all if you want to save on electricity. If you have them under a roof window in Denmark, NL or continental Europe, that's sufficient. Doesn't have to be Texas or Spain. They like warmth, some water, sufficient light and some fertilizer. Once the spring sun hits the roof window in May, temperatures in full sun light are ~ 20-30°C - ideal for them. They show you that they like the environment by blossoming once they are mature. Same goes for Pedros.

I was already putting the cactus next to my window but then the winter decided he needs to come back and drop the temperatures to 5°C

 

[Ufostrahlen]

I was already putting the cactus next to my window but then the winter decided he needs to come back and drop the temperatures to 5°C

Grower from Denmark:

LOPHOPHORA

Everything Lophophora. Information on the peyote cactus et cetera. Welcome to the Lophophora Blog and happy growing!

lophophora.blogspot.de

Growing peyote (and other cacti) on the balcony

Notes on planting window flower boxes with peyote (Lophophora williamsii), Acharagma aguirreana, Acharagma roseana, Echinocereus reichenbachii, Mammillaria grahamii, and Mammillaria senilis; plus discussions on what soil mix to use for the cactus flower boxes. The window flower boxes are located...

lophophora.blogspot.de

LOPHOPHORA

Everything Lophophora. Information on the peyote cactus et cetera. Welcome to the Lophophora Blog and happy growing!

lophophora.blogspot.de

You have 5°C in your house? Or outside temps? 10-15°C room temperature is pretty okay for them in winter. TX is cold as well in the nights, only 7°C in Jan:

http://www.weatherforyou.com/reports/index.php?forecast=pass&pass=normals&zipcode=&place=starr+county&state=tx&country=us&hwvRMon=Jan

 

[Ulim]

I was already putting the cactus next to my window but then the winter decided he needs to come back and drop the temperatures to 5°C

Grower from Denmark:

LOPHOPHORA

Everything Lophophora. Information on the peyote cactus et cetera. Welcome to the Lophophora Blog and happy growing!

lophophora.blogspot.de

Growing peyote (and other cacti) on the balcony

Notes on planting window flower boxes with peyote (Lophophora williamsii), Acharagma aguirreana, Acharagma roseana, Echinocereus reichenbachii, Mammillaria grahamii, and Mammillaria senilis; plus discussions on what soil mix to use for the cactus flower boxes. The window flower boxes are located...

lophophora.blogspot.de

LOPHOPHORA

Everything Lophophora. Information on the peyote cactus et cetera. Welcome to the Lophophora Blog and happy growing!

lophophora.blogspot.de

You have 5°C in your house? Or outside temps? 10-15°C room temperature is pretty okay for them in winter. TX is cold as well in the nights, only 7°C in Jan:

Starr County Average January Weather Conditions (TX)

5° C outside but I dont turn of the heater often so my room is pretty much at 15°C with even colder temperatures at the window. But its already may and i put it out of hibernation so i didnt want to disturb it to much thats why i try to keep it a bit warmer.

Here it is all naked. I wonder if a skilled peyote grower could turn this single one into two because of its split roots.
Ofc you can just take a bud but i mean with roots and all.