Spines Falling Off

[jvonathan]

A random patch of spines recently began falling off of my cactus. On other parts of the plant, they are still intact, and I even got poked a bit while trying to see if the plant was noticeably mushy. I have not changed anything regarding care that I have done for the past few years that I have cared for this plant. Thanks for anything you can tell me about what is happening.

[Aiko]

Do you have a cat?

[CactusMad]

I have found this happens to Notocactus leninghausii a lot (and cacti with similar spines) if the plant is in ill health for whatever reason.It maybe way overwatered or sat in damp soil constantly.Yours also isn't getting anywhere near enough sunlight.It needs a very draining soil medium.Has that pot got drainage holes in the bottom?

[WayneByerly]

I also have a Notocactus leninghausii and mine did the very same thing ... lost some spines in a patch. So I don't think that you need be overly concerned by that. Except where it might have some impact on the general health of the plant. But I do think that your N. leninghausii suffers slightly from a bit of etiolation. Mine also did the exact same thing, reaching unsuccessfully for the light, but recovered (sufficiently I think) once I put it in my greenhouse. If you have no greenhouse available, then just put it in a nice bright sunny spot outside and leave it there, all the while insuring that it does not get too much water from rain ... or other sources.

I'm going to go outside and bring mine inside so I can send you a picture of it (its dark outside now) so that you can see what a once failing and now healthy Notocactus leninghausii looks like. Note the "bare" patch close to the bottom ... and that it is much thinner at the bottom due to its own bout with etiolation. You might also note how it is now a nice dark green (although that distinction is difficult with this exposure) with yellow spines and is much fatter at the top now. I only post this picture so that you can see what you can expect yours to look like next year after you put it out in the sun.

Mine went into a really primitive and cheap greenhouse where it stayed all of last summer, this last winter (with a heater that would not allow the temp inside the greenhouse to fall below 40 degrees fahrenheit) and all of this summer. It is now something like 8" tall, out of a projected two foot height in its life.

BTW ... pay close attention to how quickly the medium it is planted in drains, as well as assuring it has sufficient drain holes in the bottom ... or it WILL die. Most succulents cannot bear to have their roots STAY wet.

Good luck with yours, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do mine!

@Notocactus leninghausii.jpg (106.76 KiB) Viewed 7704 times

[jvonathan]

Thank y'all so much for the advice! I realized I did not actually post my reply earlier, but I have made some changes and my plant is improving.