Cactus branchtops shriveling, fading, wrinkling, softing

[uki]

Hi everybody!

From last moving of cactus from the apartment to the balcony, something happened with the cactus. Branchtops have begun to fade and shrivel. Body of branchtops is wrinkled, soft, as if they were dehydrated.

Upon the recommendation of saleswomen cactus are watered every three weeks during the summer, and every month during the rest of the year. Last change of cup we did last year, immediately after the moving to the balcony and then cactus grow about 10 centimeters over the summer. Everything was fine.

Before last taking out (two weeks ago) cactus was two months without water (to make it easier to transport so probably not overwatered). After moving to the balcony we watered cactus with supplements ...

We had 7-8 indoor-balcony or balcony-indoor moving (Spring-Fall), and there were no problems.

After this problem I read a book about the cactus where the author says that at winter we do not need to water cactus, and in the summer once or twice a week. So we watered cactus one week after moving out and watering cactus. New week passed. There is no change for the better. I marked boundary with marker between wrinkled tops and healthy parts. The soft part is not expanding. But it seems to me that the tops are more and more shriveling, fading, wrinkling and softing. ;(

Any idea what could it be and how to treat it? Hope solution does not include cutting edges!
Thanx

Cactus


Healthy and shriveled part with marker


Shriveled branchtop

[teo]

It looks like a Euphorbia so it's not a cactus (a bit of nit-picking). The only practical difference is that Euphorbias generally are not as cold-hardy as some cacti.

[Onzuka]

It's so difficult to give a watering quantity or frequency, it depends upon so many variables, eg, location, climate, pot type, potting mix, etc. I'd never take the advice of a salesperson anyway, unless they were the proprietor of a specialised cacti centre or nursery. Try working on a drench and dry cycle. When you give it water, let it run out of the bottom of the pot, really soak it, but don't let it stand in a tray of water. Then give it no more water until it's properly dried out.

If it's been mover from inside a shade appartment onto a sunny balcony, it could always have suffered from sunburn.

Steve

[uki]

Thank you all for your opinions and type exlanations.

It is in shadow on balkony so sunburns are ruled out.

It seems to bee dehydration as I also suspect by look of the tops.

But not dehydration caused by little water but caused with underground problems.

I really would like not to cut anything, but maybe that is the only solution (unless some expert told otherwise and give solution).

When I dig dirt I found open wounds, and rotten parts above it




1. Healty overground part
2. Rotten over-/under-ground part
3. Healty underground part
4. Big worm I found in dirt (english is not my native language so some atributes or names are not correctly choosen; two years before saleswomen told me that worm isn't problem for plants, it cultivates dirt)
5. small, fast, multileg bug found in dirt
-> open wounds



So deyidration of branchtops is caused by dameged underground body. It cannot supply enough water and minerals through healty part of body to whole suculent, and most distant parts are suffering.

Does anyone know on this new information and pictures:

1. what caused this (bacteria, warm, bug)?
2. how to stop for happening again (new soil, treat with pesticide...)?
3. is there any option not to cut it but heal it?
4. if no, can I save it in one part (cut it, put 5 days on opet air to develop cover on cutted part) or is it to big and I need to cut it in few parts?