My Cacti plants have these scars, holes and cuts

Trouble shoot problems you are having with your cactus.
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Pleasehelpmycactus1
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2022 10:29 pm
Location: United Kingdom, England

My Cacti plants have these scars, holes and cuts

Post by Pleasehelpmycactus1 »

Hi, 3 of my cacti have these scars, holes and cuts on them that have slowly spread day by day they were like this when i got them however these markings were minimal so i ignored it however the purple one especially has the most scars, holes and marks all over it to the point where it has lost its beauty i am not sure what to do i dont know whether to throw them away if there contagious maybe its from bugs i simply dont know i have searched and searched for weeks online and cant find anything i am this close to pulling my hair and going mad. Ive even repotted them from there original small brown pots but they are still getting worse. Help me please!
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jerrytheplater
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Location: Bloomingdale, NJ (USDA Zone 6b)
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Re: My Cacti plants have these scars, holes and cuts

Post by jerrytheplater »

Pleasehelpmycactus1 wrote: Tue Dec 13, 2022 7:17 pm Hi, 3 of my cacti have these scars, holes and cuts on them that have slowly spread day by day they were like this when i got them however these markings were minimal so i ignored it however the purple one especially has the most scars, holes and marks all over it to the point where it has lost its beauty i am not sure what to do i dont know whether to throw them away if there contagious maybe its from bugs i simply dont know i have searched and searched for weeks online and cant find anything i am this close to pulling my hair and going mad. Ive even repotted them from there original small brown pots but they are still getting worse. Help me please!
The last photo looks like it has puncture wounds caused by getting poked by another plant in the store or in shipping. None of the spots you show look like any rot. Are you saying the plants are getting more of these brown spots over time?

Let me think out loud here: if an insect or other critter is eating the surface of the cacti, initially the wound would be wet/juicy and not brown and dry. It will take a bit of time to turn brown. Conclusion: look closer at your plants and see if you can see any fresh wounds. This will possibly allow you to eliminate a possible source of the brown.
Jerry Smith
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
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ohugal
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Re: My Cacti plants have these scars, holes and cuts

Post by ohugal »

I agree with jerry, it looks like physical damage. Looking at the pictures I don't see any bugs . What sometime does cause such spots, is when you remove scale manually with tweezers.
I don't know where you're located, but repotting at the moment (if it's winter where you are) is not the best idea. Be sure not to water your cactus afterwards.
If you do suspect bugs, move it away from your other plants and perhaps spray it with a contact insecticide.
Location
Antwerp, Belgium
temperate, maritime climate with mild winters and cool summers
hardiness zone 8a
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Steve Johnson
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Location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)

Re: My Cacti plants have these scars, holes and cuts

Post by Steve Johnson »

ohugal wrote: Wed Dec 14, 2022 8:39 pmI don't know where you're located...
Pleasehelpmycactus1 -- see this:

viewtopic.php?t=43819
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
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Steve Johnson
Posts: 4514
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:44 am
Location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)

Re: My Cacti plants have these scars, holes and cuts

Post by Steve Johnson »

Okay -- now that we know where you live, what ohugal just said definitely applies since you shouldn't water your cacti until the new growing season begins next spring. While I don't know the UK climate, my guess is it'll be sometime in May. The only pest problem you might have to contend with in winter would be a root mealy infestation, although you won't know if you have one unless you unpot your cacti and take a good look at the roots. Aside from the physical damage, their stems look nice and healthy, so I wouldn't suspect a root mealy problem. However, it appears that you're growing your plants in potting soil -- fine for nonxeric plants, not so good for desert cacti. If you lean the soil out with a mineral gravel (pumice, crushed granite poultry grit, or calcined clay cat litter), the roots of your plants will get the free drainage and aeration they need for better growth. No need to do anything about this now, so wait until you're ready to repot at the start of your growing season.
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
Pleasehelpmycactus1
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2022 10:29 pm
Location: United Kingdom, England

Re: My Cacti plants have these scars, holes and cuts

Post by Pleasehelpmycactus1 »

Hi steve johnson thanks for your reply, the soil im using is perlite with miracle gro succelent and cacus soil. It is currently winter in the uk.
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