Yellowing San Pedro, please help.....

[Dimitrius]

As you can see, my big San Pedro isn't doing well....(elongated steeple-ness aside :roll: ....FYI, Repti-Glo 5.0 lights not so good for cacti; they stimulate growth much too rapidly).

I just noticed this a few days ago. I haven't been able to figure out what the issue is. Water? It's winter. Food? Uhmmm...I don't think so??

I'm hoping someone here can shed some light on the situation.

Looking at the pictures now, maybe it's the ionizer sitting next to it?? The little San Pedro and little Achuma on the lower shelf aren't having this issue....and all other parameters being relatively equal (big one gets just slightly more sunlight), the ionizer seems to be the only odd variable. And it's been on a lot lately....almost constantly for the week or so.

God, I feel so stupid. I'm such an incompetent caretaker!

I don't want my San Pedro to die!!!

 

[Dimitrius]

Not sure about the yellowing but from what I have read the long thin top is usually a result of not balancing all of the things needed for active growth. For example you can get that effect from watering straight through winter when there is not enough light. The watering keeps the cactus in an active growth cycle even when it is not getting the right balance of other factors (sunlight). I have heard too much heat (like in an enclosed green house environment) can cause a similar effect. Seems like the grow lights alone shouldn't do it but I can't say so with any experience to back it up. Lots of light is usually exactly what these plants want, as long as they have water and nutrients and carbon from the atmosphere they should thrive under a grow light I would think.

Thanks.

Trust me, it was definitely the lights. Not the usual kind of lights. It was obvious that it was the lights.

Everything else was right. I read up at sacredcactus.com and sacredsucculents.com, and here and other places to make sure I understood the different parameters for different seasons and whatnot.

I don't remember why I used those lights. I forget. I did it for a reason, just can't remember what it was.


I hope Mr. San Pedro turns around. I don't want him to die because of my insensitivity as a caretaker. I mean, I've had caapi and mimosa AND desmanthus seedlings fail because of my incompetency, but man....it's really saying something if I can't take care of a cactus....jeeez. And my name, Dimitrius, means "he who loves the earth".....it's just too bad I can't take care of the plants of the earth. :roll:

 

[1664]

^^ Don't worry Dimitrius, your cacti still love you! :lol:

 

[Dimitrius]

Yeah I know.

It's still sad though. :roll:

I don't know....I think he'll turn around.

I almost sure that it's the ionizer. It's the only variable that could be responsible....as far as my mind is seeing.

I tend to be very visually observant, and I would have noticed this happening if it had long and gradual, i.e., a slow process because of light/water/nutrient issues. This happened too rapidly and coincides exactly with the ionizer constantly being on nonstop. Whats more is the other two on the shelf below show no yellowing, and they are under the same conditions, minus the ionizer.....the glass on the upper shelf seems to have shielded them from harm.

I've also been ridiculously ill with a full respiratory system infection for the past week or so....I haven't even been noticing the air in front of my face, much less Mr. San Pedro.....sorry Pedro.

I'm gonna keep a watchful eye on him for the next several days and I'm sure the yellow will revert back to green gradually....*mental praying hands*

 

['Coatl]

The 1st pic is a prime example of what happens if you try to grow "San Pedro" indoors under lights.

 

[Dimitrius]

[quote='Coatl]The 1st pic is a prime example of what happens if you try to grow "San Pedro" indoors under lights.
[/quote]

yep. don't recommend it.


so, the yellowing portion not only didn't turn around, but progressively got worse and worse, until it became necessary to separate the top half from the lower half.

the top half's wound is being dried before being replanted. Pedro will live on.