Unusual base? Arms keep dying?

Trouble shoot problems you are having with your cactus.
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Oscarc
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2017 1:41 pm

Unusual base? Arms keep dying?

Post by Oscarc »

My poor cactus Dudley (I don't know what type of cactus it is, I'm new to all this!) is going weird. I may be overreacting but is it dying? The base looks yellow/brownish. And it keeps trying to grow new arms but they keep dying while young. It's probably tried to grow like 5 arms now. What's wrong with it?
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16667864_10210586257406182_1475279926_o.jpg (131.97 KiB) Viewed 476 times
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16709263_10210586005719890_1367738026_o.jpg (124.5 KiB) Viewed 476 times
Any help is appreciated, thank you! :oops:
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greenknight
Posts: 4813
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2013 4:18 am
Location: SW Washington State zone 8b

Re: Unusual base? Arms keep dying?

Post by greenknight »

Welcome to CactiGuide!

The base being brown is normal.

Dudley's not a cactus, but a Euphorbia - E enopla, or maybe E. ferox. Care is similar to a cactus, but they're a little less fussy about soil - good thing, because that is really bad soil. Also, does that pot have a drain hole(s)? Must have a pot with drainage.

That potting mix needs to be replaced with something gritty and free-draining, There's details here - http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewtop ... =25&t=9222

Be careful of the sap - any wounds will ooze a milky sap that's a strong irritant. Avoid contact with eyes or mucous membranes, it will burn like fire.

Dudley doesn't look bad, not close to dying, but the new branches shriveling means the growing conditions are not good. Repotting with a proper cactus mix should fix him right up.

For more info on the species, see these pages - http://www.cactus-art.biz/schede/EUPHOR ... enopla.htm
http://www.cactus-art.biz/schede/EUPHOR ... _ferox.htm
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