Soft Bodied Cactus

neonj · Post by **neonj** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 7:47 pm

I have some plants (mainly Mamms and a couple of Parodia magnifica) that are soft. They have been like this for several months. At 1st I figured maybe I was over watering. I would water about once a week and my soil drains well. I use a mixture of Aquatic soil, perlite, and my flavor of the month soil which is usually a commercial cactus mix, miracle grow, or something similar. Anyway, since I have discovered that some of my plants are slightly soft, I have pretty much cut out all watering of plants that are prone to softness. A couple of months have passed by and there has really been no change. The bases to these plants are still soft. The plants are not worse, but there still soft. Does anybody have any ideas why this is? I live on the gulf coast and it has been super hot and humid. All my other cactus are fine. It seems that only my mamms and Parodia get soft like this. I thought it was rot at 1st but it this were the case, the plants would of rotted away by now. A friend told me not to worry about it if everything else seems healthy but I do worry. HELP ME OBI WAN KONOBI.

Thanks,
Jeffrey

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 5:53 am

Hi Jeffrey- I am definitely not Obi Wan Kanobi, but I have a few questions. Are the parts where your plants are soft discolored, brown, and have you cut into that tissue at all? If you have, is the tissue goopy? This is definitely rot if so. How do you know the plants are soft? What happens when you poke them? Can you post a picture?

Peterb

cactuspolecat · Post by **cactuspolecat** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 12:56 pm

Jeffrey it'd help to know what plants we are dealing with here. There are some Mamms that have soft bodies, in particular hooked spined species such as bocasana, guelzowiana etc, these plants will naturally feel soft.

CP

Bill in SC · Post by **Bill in SC** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 2:21 am

Ian and peterb: I have been talking with Jeffrey via e-mail, and he sent me one of the suspect plants. It was Notocactus warasii. It was a little wrinkled, and a tad soft above the base. I left it unpotted for several days and the plant did not change. I planted it and it seems fine, though still a tad wrinkled. I suggested that he take his least favorite one among them and slice the cactus off right above root where it was slightly soft. He could see exactly if there was a problem, then the top could be easily rerooted. Rot is usually pretty quick once it sets in, and this dilemma has been going one for several weeks, so I do not suspect rot.. He is using the aquatic plant soil, perlite, sandy loam mix, and you would have to work hard to rot a plant in this mix.. Could be a humidity issue as his climate is close to my SC climate. I had this same plant exhibit the same symptoms last summer. I whacked it off, and it was indeed rot. I rooted the top half and it has really jumped this year. One slice can settle the issue for Jeffrey..
Bill in SC

Post by **daiv** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 3:38 am

I think that many Parodia prefer a little more water than most cacti. It may be that it wants a little more water.

neonj · Post by **neonj** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:24 pm

Hi Jeffrey- I am definitely not Obi Wan Kanobi, but I have a few questions. Are the parts where your plants are soft discolored, brown, and have you cut into that tissue at all? If you have, is the tissue goopy? This is definitely rot if so. How do you know the plants are soft? What happens when you poke them? Can you post a picture?

No, they are not brown. I've cut into a few of them and there not goey. From just looking at them, they look 100% normal, you wouldn't know anything was wrong at all. I know what rot is, I've had my share of it. When I saw soft, I don't mean real mushy or anything like that, I just mean there not hard and firm like a lot of my other plants.

Jeffrey

neonj · Post by **neonj** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:27 pm

Can plants get soft when they are thirsty?

Jeffrey

daiv wrote:I think that many Parodia prefer a little more water than most cacti. It may be that it wants a little more water.

neonj · Post by **neonj** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:33 pm

I really think I'm just gona stop worring about it. I'm gona do my best to keep healthy plants. If I get some rot, I will just do my best to keep it from happening again. I had a soft plant that was starting to shrink so I said the heck with it and I gave it a large glass of water and today it's hard as a brick. Since I've been so parinod about rot I've been afraid to water my plants and now some of them are starting to tell me to water them which I've been doing.

Post by **daiv** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 3:04 am

Jeffrey,
Sounds like you've answered your own posts. Don't worry, I can relate to the neurosis -there is no way more sure to kill a cactus than to take extra special care of it.

I've lost several of those while the ones I neglect thrive.

Daiv

neonj · Post by **neonj** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 5:49 pm

daiv wrote:Jeffrey,
Sounds like you've answered your own posts. Don't worry, I can relate to the neurosis -there is no way more sure to kill a cactus than to take extra special care of it. I've lost several of those while the ones I neglect thrive.

Daiv

I know exactly what you mean. I believe that 1/2 my problem is just needless worrying.

If you someone would of told me last year that this year I would be worried about my potted plants I would not of believed them.

Jeffrey