CactiGuide.com

I have had cacti over many years, but never had much success. Once I moved to the southern nv desert, my plants took off. Most of them are 3-5 years old, the one in question is at least 3. It was a messed up Home Depot clearance plant and it’s gotten quite large. I noticed on the winter it seemed like I was over watering, and this is what started my quest to learn more about cactus care. I stopped watering it and got the most part everything was ok. From my research I have etoilation happening, and I’m wondering if there is desiccation also. This plant was in way too large and deep of a pot. I panicked when I saw how droopy and shriveled it became and reported it to a shallow and smaller one, then fertilized. I trimmed the etoilated parts off, and staked it up and hoped for the best. However I’m getting really concerned this plant is going to die. There is new growth in one area, but the rest of the plant will not stand. This is something in the past that would change after a good watering. When I replanted it, I took a lot of time to remove the old soil and checked the roots. I read the root system is likely week and the plant is too heavy, and the roots look healthy but they’re for sure fairly small. After digging around on here, I am 100% changing this soil and thinking of moving it to straight perlite….is my plant a lost cause? Or if I really work on TLC can I salvage some/most of it?

Opuntia vulgaris (or maybe also ficus-indica) is a bullet proof plant, all it needs is much sun, space, watering enough with fertilizers in summer and cool dry overwinering. They grow abundantly on field borders in Mediterranean and really resemble a horrible nightmare for cyclists.

I wouldn't go to straight perlite, though this mix does look a bit heavy - maybe mix it with 50% perlite. I agree, though, very tough plant. I'd cut off the parts that are completely shriveled, they're not going to recover if they didn't plump up when you watered. Then just relax, it's growing, these guys are hard to kill.