Need help understanding my cactus

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Jean
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Need help understanding my cactus

Post by Jean »

I was given this cactus and have repotted it into a larger pot twice. Every time I do this it sends out these shoots. I know it is in the proper soil but just wondering what I am or am I doing anything wrong? I can't post a picture on here for some reason, so if anyone is interested in helping me out I can e-mail you a picture.
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Brontosaurus
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Re: Need help understanding my cactus

Post by Brontosaurus »

Is it possible that the reason you can't post a picture is because your image is too large? It'd be great to see the picture. Also, do you know what species your cactus is?
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Jean
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Re: Need help understanding my cactus

Post by Jean »

yes the picture is too large and I don't know how to make it smaller....I am trying I can send it via e-mail no prob
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toadstar
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Re: Need help understanding my cactus

Post by toadstar »

Go to http://imgur.com/ and click the green "new post" button at the top of the page. Once your image has been uploaded there then paste the link here.
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Jean
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Re: Need help understanding my cactus

Post by Jean »

see avatar that's the cactus I know nothing about
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Brontosaurus
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Re: Need help understanding my cactus

Post by Brontosaurus »

It's really hard to tell from that tiny picture. Can you do what toadstar did? If you have the most recent version of MS Paint it's really easy to resize a picture.http://condor.depaul.edu/gandrus/130/docs/Paint.htm
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greenknight
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Re: Need help understanding my cactus

Post by greenknight »

I can tell a few things from that picture (though you should be able to use one of the methods described to post a bigger one). Looks like you have what's commonly known as an Orchid Cactus, or "Epiphyllum hybrid" (not an accurate name, but still widely used) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphyllum_hybrid

By "shoots", do you mean the air roots? Not unusual for some to be produced, since the plants these were bred from grow clinging to trees in their natural habitat. It may be just a response to root disturbance, but there are an awful lot of them - maybe it doesn't like the mix you're using. For care tips, see - http://www.guide-to-houseplants.com/orchid-cactus.html
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Jean
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Re: Need help understanding my cactus

Post by Jean »

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Jean
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Re: Need help understanding my cactus

Post by Jean »

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7george
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Re: Need help understanding my cactus

Post by 7george »

Maybe that is the nature of your cactus - growing new stems. Feeling good in the new soil. Have you told us or the cactus what you want of it - to stay the same, to bloom or something else? Epiphytes grow like this hanging down or sticking to tree stems.
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DaveW
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Re: Need help understanding my cactus

Post by DaveW »

Hi Jean,

I have enlarged your avatar best I can from such a small image, bearing in mind doing so produces a very low quality image.
cactus.jpg
cactus.jpg (123.02 KiB) Viewed 1483 times
The aerial roots are quite normal in an epiphytic cactus that clings to tree bark with them in the wild. Their production has nothing to do with poor cultivation and the plant being starved of food. In habitat they also absorb any moisture that runs down the trunk and also root into any leaf litter that accumulates on the tree. Looks as if it may be a Selenicereus or a Hylocereus or something similar and being a gross feeder needs a larger pot and as it grows quite fast you may need to keep repotting it as it exhausts the soil, or feeding it with half strength fertiliser instead.
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