I posted a few weeks ago about my cacti becoming top heavy and falling over. I thought I had fixed the issue but she does not seem to be doing much better. I took some cutting from the pieces that fell over but it just doesn’t look right. There are some soft spots and discoloration. Here are some photos of what’s going on.
Parts appear very healthy. I wonder if I should take cuttings from the healthy parts and give up on the rest? Any advice is welcome! I am new to this and any advice is appreciated!
San Pedro needs help ***photos!
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Biscuitmeniscus
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San Pedro needs help ***photos!
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ElieEstephane
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Re: San Pedro needs help ***photos!
There are many things going wrong.
First of all, it's etiolating which means it needs so much more light. Columnars are not indoor plants.
Next, it looks like you are watering in winter which can eventually be a death spell
And finally if the discoloration at the base is soft, it's rot. If not, it looks like lignification that the cactus is doing to combat excess water.
First of all, it's etiolating which means it needs so much more light. Columnars are not indoor plants.
Next, it looks like you are watering in winter which can eventually be a death spell
And finally if the discoloration at the base is soft, it's rot. If not, it looks like lignification that the cactus is doing to combat excess water.
There are more cacti in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a)
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a)
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Biscuitmeniscus
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Re: San Pedro needs help ***photos!
Is there anything I can do to fix or salvage this plant? I inherited this cactus and I thought the previous owners kept it inside. I agree that the base is starting to rot. Can I take cuttings from the top and throw out the base? Any advice is welcome! I just hope this isn’t a death sentence for this cactus.
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ElieEstephane
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Re: San Pedro needs help ***photos!
Yes you can absolutely take cuttings! Let them dry for a week and replant them.
There are more cacti in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a)
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a)
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Biscuitmeniscus
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Tue Jan 30, 2018 2:06 pm
Re: San Pedro needs help ***photos!
Thank you so much for the help. I took cuttings from the healthy pieces and pulled the rest. I attached a few pictures of the cuttings and also of the pots and growing medium. Does the medium look ok? Are these pots ok when the cuttings are ready to repot? One more question, should I sterilize the medium in the oven before I repot? I appreciate all the help!ElieEstephane wrote: ↑Mon Feb 19, 2018 3:40 pm Yes you can absolutely take cuttings! Let them dry for a week and replant them.
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Re: San Pedro needs help ***photos!
Wow, you must be aiming for establishing a cactus nursery, with as many pieces of the San Pedro cactus you now have. 
Well, your images do show evenly colored cut surfaces, which is a good sign. If splotches develop, you usually have a battle on your hands with microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) that cause the dreaded soft rot.
Once a nice tough skin (callus) has formed, you can place your cuttings into a pot. Do not water right away, but let the plant have contact to the soil for two weeks to a month, before you apply water. Some cacti readily form roots, even if they are not in contact with soil. Once roots have formed, you can water the plant sparingly, but let the soil dry out before watering again.
It is always a good idea to sterilize the soil and also the pot, especially if the latter has held a plant that was suffering from a disease or had insect or mite problems.
I do not have any experience growing the cactus you do have, but most cacti will thrive in a very porous, and thus well-draining growing medium.
There are various "recipes" available that will aid you in producing a good growing mix for your cactus, including here on CactiGuide, if you click on the tab named "Growing Help" toward the top of this page. Most cacti do not like to be grown in a rich kind of soil like store-bought potting soil. The organic matter stays moist too long and contributes to root rot. Some cacti, however, like Epiphyllum spp., Schlumbergera spp. and other "leafy" types (jungle cacti) will tolerate humus rich soil and more water, but your plant will probably fall into the "desert cactus" category.
During the growing season you should apply a complete fertilizer about twice every year. I use a chemical fertilizer which does have a high phosphorus content. The label always shows the "N" (Nitrogen), "P" (Phosphate) and "K" (Potassium) information expressed in numbers, example 15-15-15. Fertilizers with higher numbers are more potent. For cacti I would advise, that you only use the fertilizer at 1/3 to 1/2 the recommended dosage.
Harald
Well, your images do show evenly colored cut surfaces, which is a good sign. If splotches develop, you usually have a battle on your hands with microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) that cause the dreaded soft rot.
Once a nice tough skin (callus) has formed, you can place your cuttings into a pot. Do not water right away, but let the plant have contact to the soil for two weeks to a month, before you apply water. Some cacti readily form roots, even if they are not in contact with soil. Once roots have formed, you can water the plant sparingly, but let the soil dry out before watering again.
It is always a good idea to sterilize the soil and also the pot, especially if the latter has held a plant that was suffering from a disease or had insect or mite problems.
I do not have any experience growing the cactus you do have, but most cacti will thrive in a very porous, and thus well-draining growing medium.
There are various "recipes" available that will aid you in producing a good growing mix for your cactus, including here on CactiGuide, if you click on the tab named "Growing Help" toward the top of this page. Most cacti do not like to be grown in a rich kind of soil like store-bought potting soil. The organic matter stays moist too long and contributes to root rot. Some cacti, however, like Epiphyllum spp., Schlumbergera spp. and other "leafy" types (jungle cacti) will tolerate humus rich soil and more water, but your plant will probably fall into the "desert cactus" category.
During the growing season you should apply a complete fertilizer about twice every year. I use a chemical fertilizer which does have a high phosphorus content. The label always shows the "N" (Nitrogen), "P" (Phosphate) and "K" (Potassium) information expressed in numbers, example 15-15-15. Fertilizers with higher numbers are more potent. For cacti I would advise, that you only use the fertilizer at 1/3 to 1/2 the recommended dosage.
Harald
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Biscuitmeniscus
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Tue Jan 30, 2018 2:06 pm
Re: San Pedro needs help ***photos!
Harald,
Thanks for all the info! Well, two of the cuttings seem healthy enough to transplant but all the rest are soft, mushy and stink. So my nursery is going to be pretty small
I attempted to sterilize the soil in the oven. I “cooked” the soil at 500 degrees for 20 mins. I also scrubbed the pots. Hopefully the soil recipe I used will work!
I think where I went wrong in the first place was watering right away. I have my fingers crossed!
Thanks again for all the help! I need as much as I can get!
Thanks for all the info! Well, two of the cuttings seem healthy enough to transplant but all the rest are soft, mushy and stink. So my nursery is going to be pretty small
I attempted to sterilize the soil in the oven. I “cooked” the soil at 500 degrees for 20 mins. I also scrubbed the pots. Hopefully the soil recipe I used will work! I think where I went wrong in the first place was watering right away. I have my fingers crossed!
Thanks again for all the help! I need as much as I can get!