Sick cactus, please help.

Trouble shoot problems you are having with your cactus.
Calvin Gordon
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2014 11:46 am

Sick cactus, please help.

Post by Calvin Gordon »

I think it might be some sort of fungus. Please tell me what is the problem. These are two separate plants but in the same pot.
Attachments
2014-07-11 19.36.31.jpg
2014-07-11 19.36.31.jpg (72.2 KiB) Viewed 2606 times
2014-07-11 19.36.16.jpg
2014-07-11 19.36.16.jpg (61.76 KiB) Viewed 2606 times
User avatar
TexasPricklyPiglet
Posts: 165
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2014 8:48 pm
Location: San Antonio, TX

Re: Sick cactus, please help.

Post by TexasPricklyPiglet »

I don't know, to me it looks like it might be rot, perhaps? Is your cactus kind of squishy?
Image Image Image

A young Texan girl in a big cactus world.

<3 Trade with me? <3
Calvin Gordon
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2014 11:46 am

Re: Sick cactus, please help.

Post by Calvin Gordon »

Nope, it's firm.
User avatar
TexasPricklyPiglet
Posts: 165
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2014 8:48 pm
Location: San Antonio, TX

Re: Sick cactus, please help.

Post by TexasPricklyPiglet »

Hmmm, if it is firm, then maybe the skin was just burnt? Did you have it in a shady place and then move it into full sun suddenly? If it is a fungus, I feel like I would be seeing a more desiccated plant. Let us see if anyone can help us figure it out. When did it start?
Image Image Image

A young Texan girl in a big cactus world.

<3 Trade with me? <3
Calvin Gordon
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2014 11:46 am

Re: Sick cactus, please help.

Post by Calvin Gordon »

I have had these plants for about 3 years and just left them outdoors since the day I bought them, I live in a tropical country so it's dry throughout the whole year with rain sometimes and more rain during the monsoon season at the end if the year. I don't really remember when it started because I never really paid much attention to them till recently.
User avatar
adetheproducer
Posts: 1576
Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:15 pm
Location: Porth, the Rhondda, Wales

Re: Sick cactus, please help.

Post by adetheproducer »

Might be mite damage, could also be sunstress damage. I would treat for mites and looking at the soil maybe repot in a more gritty, mineral based soil. That should improve drainage in the rain, allow it to dry out quicker and should reduce the chances of fungle infections.
And as the walls come down and as I look in your eyes
My fear begins to fade recalling all of the times
I have died and will die.
It's all right.
I dont mind
I dont mind.
I DONT MIND
Calvin Gordon
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2014 11:46 am

Re: Sick cactus, please help.

Post by Calvin Gordon »

Okay thank you, what would you suggest to treat mites?
User avatar
TexasPricklyPiglet
Posts: 165
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2014 8:48 pm
Location: San Antonio, TX

Re: Sick cactus, please help.

Post by TexasPricklyPiglet »

I've never used it before, but neem oil is supposed to be a good natural way to get rid of pests on plants.
Image Image Image

A young Texan girl in a big cactus world.

<3 Trade with me? <3
User avatar
Steve Johnson
Posts: 4514
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:44 am
Location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)

Re: Sick cactus, please help.

Post by Steve Johnson »

TexasPricklyPiglet wrote:I've never used it before, but neem oil is supposed to be a good natural way to get rid of pests on plants.
No, no, no -- Neem oil is death to cacti! Calvin, from the looks of the damage I see in your photos I think it could be flat mites. They're also called false spider mites because they don't spin telltale webs as red spider mites will. Although red spider mites are common problem among cactus growers, flat mites have been showing up more recently in collections being maintained under hot, humid climate conditions. I don't know where you live, but Bayer 3-in-1 spray and TetraSan are safe and effective against both types of pest mite.
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
User avatar
TexasPricklyPiglet
Posts: 165
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2014 8:48 pm
Location: San Antonio, TX

Re: Sick cactus, please help.

Post by TexasPricklyPiglet »

Steve Johnson wrote:
TexasPricklyPiglet wrote:I've never used it before, but neem oil is supposed to be a good natural way to get rid of pests on plants.
No, no, no -- Neem oil is death to cacti! Calvin, from the looks of the damage I see in your photos I think it could be flat mites. They're also called false spider mites because they don't spin telltale webs as red spider mites will. Although red spider mites are common problem among cactus growers, flat mites have been showing up more recently in collections being maintained under hot, humid climate conditions. I don't know where you live, but Bayer 3-in-1 spray and TetraSan are safe and effective against both types of pest mite.
Oops! I don't want to kill anyone's cacti, so let's just be safe and disregard the neem oil suggestion. Good luck Calvin! :D
Image Image Image

A young Texan girl in a big cactus world.

<3 Trade with me? <3
Calvin Gordon
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2014 11:46 am

Re: Sick cactus, please help.

Post by Calvin Gordon »

Alright thank you so much. Will get the spray as soon as possible. :D
User avatar
SkyClan Cat
Posts: 199
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2011 10:14 pm
Location: Kentucky

Re: Sick cactus, please help.

Post by SkyClan Cat »

Steve Johnson wrote:
TexasPricklyPiglet wrote:I've never used it before, but neem oil is supposed to be a good natural way to get rid of pests on plants.
No, no, no -- Neem oil is death to cacti!
Really? I've never heard of that; nearly every mention I've seen of neem oil has been a recommendation to use it (and the only things that weren't, have been one or two cases of someone asking if they should try it and someone answering "I've never tried it, so I don't know"). In fact, I used to follow the cactusjungle blog and saw neem oil recommended for nearly every problem.

The only warning I've seen about it is to keep the cactus shaded until the oil dries because otherwise the sun will burn it. I'm really curious and confused; if this isn't the worst thing it does to cacti, then what does it do that kills them?
We do what we must
because we can.
For the good of all of us.
Except the ones who are dead.
But there's no sense crying over every mistake.
You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.
User avatar
greenknight
Posts: 4813
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2013 4:18 am
Location: SW Washington State zone 8b

Re: Sick cactus, please help.

Post by greenknight »

I have read in a couple places that pure neem products were all right to use on cacti, but not to use the 70% neem formulations like "Rose Defense". I've never tried neem on cacti, myself
Spence :mrgreen:
User avatar
Steve Johnson
Posts: 4514
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:44 am
Location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)

Re: Sick cactus, please help.

Post by Steve Johnson »

greenknight wrote:I have read in a couple places that pure neem products were all right to use on cacti, but not to use the 70% neem formulations like "Rose Defense". I've never tried neem on cacti, myself
My one and only experience with Neem oil was 3 years ago, when I used it on a Stenocactus. A couple of days after I sprayed it, the skin started developing orange spots. A week later the skin was completely orange, and a week after that the plant was dead. Can't remember what was in the product I got, so maybe there was something about the formulation, or perhaps I just got unlucky about a species that didn't agree with Neem oil. As the old saying goes -- "once bitten, twice shy".
SkyClan Cat wrote:Really? I've never heard of that; nearly every mention I've seen of neem oil has been a recommendation to use it (and the only things that weren't, have been one or two cases of someone asking if they should try it and someone answering "I've never tried it, so I don't know"). In fact, I used to follow the cactusjungle blog and saw neem oil recommended for nearly every problem.

The only warning I've seen about it is to keep the cactus shaded until the oil dries because otherwise the sun will burn it. I'm really curious and confused; if this isn't the worst thing it does to cacti, then what does it do that kills them?
The subject of Neem oil came up on the forum in October 2012. You might want to check this out:

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=27588" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If some people claim they do well with Neem products on cacti and succulents, fine. However, I share Ian's skepticism about the stuff, and I wouldn't use it on any of my cacti. Period.
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
User avatar
WayneByerly
Posts: 1240
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2014 10:35 pm
Location: In the north end of the Sequachee Valley, 65 miles north of Chattanooga Tennessee USA. Zone 7a

Re: Sick cactus, please help.

Post by WayneByerly »

Calvin Gordon wrote:Okay thank you, what would you suggest to treat mites?
Bayer 3-in1
Bayer 3-in-1 treats for quite a number of insecticidal pests, as well as mites and several fungal infections. It's a concentrate that you mix in THIN concentrations, so the end result is not very expensive.

Cacti are PLANTS ... they are GOING to get pests ... get yourself a bottle of Bayer 3-in-1 and you'll have it around for when you DO get bugs ... as well as treating whatever it is that you now have.

Safert Brand Insect Killing Soap
I've also had good experience killing "bugs in general" with "Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap with Seaweed Extract". It is a salt that interferes with some cellular functions. Buglife ingest it and just plain die. The bottle says it kills aphids, earwigs, grasshoppers, harlequin bugs, leafhoppers, mealybugs, mites, plant bugs, psyllids, sawfly larvae, soft scales, spider mites, squashbugs, blossom thrips and whiteflies. I've seen it kill small ants in 30 seconds. It is also DEATH to those horrid green japanese beetles that SO love to infest my wisteria. It DOES come as a ready to use spray, but I don't know if it's available as a concentrate.

I bought a Fockea crispa that came with a rather severe spider infestation. I sprayed the foliage well, let it sit a while and then rinsed it off as the foliage had become enmeshed with the dirt dust that developed as a result of shipping bare root. Spiders went away. Gone.

Those are my two recommendations. Hope SOMETHING helps!
Make the moral choice & always do what's right. Be a good example. Be part of the solution & make a contribution to society, or be part of the problem & end your life with nothing but regrets. Live a life you can be proud of! Zone 7a
Post Reply