Are my cacti sick?

Trouble shoot problems you are having with your cactus.
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daisy _416
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:52 am
Location: Adelaide, South Australia (zone 10)

Are my cacti sick?

Post by daisy _416 »

Hi, we bought a new house a little while ago. Not sure how long it had been vacant, so the cacti might not have been looked after. They look sick to me however I have never had a garden before. Can anyone offer some advice? They don't seem to be mushy so I dont think its root rot. I can see some spider webs, but not many. There are ants - mostly bull ants, and in another part of the garden lots of snails. There is some white stuff in and around the soil but can't see any bugs so may be mould. It has been well over 40c here a lot lately, so could be sun damage / not enough water. Please help!!!
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DesertSun
Posts: 322
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2018 5:33 pm
Location: Zone 9b

Re: Are my cacti sick?

Post by DesertSun »

It does look like sun damage to me, but I am not so experienced, other members will be of help.
One of your cacti shows shriveling at the bottom, I think it suggests underwatering? Not sure, let's hear it from others.
I am worried about that hole in your Crassula ovata. Is it mushy and soft? If not, it's underwatered, the leaves are shriveled. Snails must be the cause of the leaves that are eaten on your succulents.
You have a nice collection, also congratulations on your new house! :)
Marina
"The best fertilizer is the gardener's own shadow"
Chinese proverb
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ElieEstephane
Posts: 2909
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2016 12:10 am
Location: Lebanon (zone 11a)

Re: Are my cacti sick?

Post by ElieEstephane »

I see some sun damage for sure, some rodent damage and some insect damage but the one that worries me is the notocactus (3rd picture). Do a closer inspection and give it your best judgement.
It would be a good idea to spray some inesctice around and lay some slug traps. Slugs will eat anything.
It's above 4 degrees during the day but what about at night? If it's not too hot at night, feel free to water and fertilize.
As for spiders, they will actually feast on instects trying to damage your plants!
Good luck and congratulations on the new house!
Btw, knowing your locaction (what country/zone) can help us to give you better advice
There are more cacti in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a) :mrgreen:
daisy _416
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:52 am
Location: Adelaide, South Australia (zone 10)

Re: Are my cacti sick?

Post by daisy _416 »

DesertSun wrote: Tue Feb 13, 2018 11:01 am It does look like sun damage to me, but I am not so experienced, other members will be of help.
One of your cacti shows shriveling at the bottom, I think it suggests underwatering? Not sure, let's hear it from others.
I am worried about that hole in your Crassula ovata. Is it mushy and soft? If not, it's underwatered, the leaves are shriveled. Snails must be the cause of the leaves that are eaten on your succulents.
You have a nice collection, also congratulations on your new house! :)
Marina
Thanks for your response! The hole in the Crassula Ovata is definately not soft at all, so that one must be just underwatered. Hopefully I can revive it without drowning it :? I've taken a bunch more photos, so will upload those shortly too. All the plants look damaged to me, but they must all be very old too since they are so big, so the damage may not even be recent. Thanks again!
daisy _416
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:52 am
Location: Adelaide, South Australia (zone 10)

Re: Are my cacti sick?

Post by daisy _416 »

Here are some more photos. There are just so many different ones and I don't know what's normal or not!
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daisy _416
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:52 am
Location: Adelaide, South Australia (zone 10)

Re: Are my cacti sick?

Post by daisy _416 »

ElieEstephane wrote: Tue Feb 13, 2018 11:33 am I see some sun damage for sure, some rodent damage and some insect damage but the one that worries me is the notocactus (3rd picture). Do a closer inspection and give it your best judgement.
It would be a good idea to spray some inesctice around and lay some slug traps. Slugs will eat anything.
It's above 4 degrees during the day but what about at night? If it's not too hot at night, feel free to water and fertilize.
As for spiders, they will actually feast on instects trying to damage your plants!
Good luck and congratulations on the new house!
Btw, knowing your locaction (what country/zone) can help us to give you better advice
Thank you for your response! Rodent damage? I had not even considered that; I have seen rats around the place too.
The Notocactus does look pretty bad. I had thought that myself. It is too dark to go look at it again now unfrotunatly. I inspected it today though and couldn't see any bugs however there was a hole in it, maybe an inch round or a bit less, I almost thought there may have been another round part of it that had fallen out and left a hollow behind. or an animal may have burrowed in it..
Do you have any recommendations on insecticides? I read a lot about it online however there were so many conflicting opinions on what to use and what not to use.
Night is still fairly warm, perhaps only 20c though and the days have cooled down now to around 30. We are at the end of summer thankfully. Sorry, I didn't think to say where I am from - Adelaide, South Australia not sure what a zone is though. Thanks again!
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ElieEstephane
Posts: 2909
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2016 12:10 am
Location: Lebanon (zone 11a)

Re: Are my cacti sick?

Post by ElieEstephane »

The damage i see is normal for neglected plants outside. You should however keep a close eye for pests and clean the plants to notice anything new. As for pesticide, it's not urgent but i'd recommend it or let the spiders do their thing. I am from a different country so i cannot reccomend pesticide. Ask at the store for something mild and general. Rodent damage is very possible so you can set some traps.
Since it's still warm enough, they would really appreciate a drink weekly or so. Since it's the end of the summer, hold off the fertilizer
There are more cacti in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a) :mrgreen:
daisy _416
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:52 am
Location: Adelaide, South Australia (zone 10)

Re: Are my cacti sick?

Post by daisy _416 »

ElieEstephane wrote: Tue Feb 13, 2018 12:18 pm The damage i see is normal for neglected plants outside. You should however keep a close eye for pests and clean the plants to notice anything new. As for pesticide, it's not urgent but i'd recommend it or let the spiders do their thing. I am from a different country so i cannot reccomend pesticide. Ask at the store for something mild and general. Rodent damage is very possible so you can set some traps.
Since it's still warm enough, they would really appreciate a drink weekly or so. Since it's the end of the summer, hold off the fertilizer

Thank you! I looked up zones on google and I think I'm in a 4 - which equates to about a US 10. Its a mediteranian style, temperate region with wet winters and hot dry summers apparently.
I will definately do all of that, thank you. To clean the plants, do I just wipe with water or something else?
I will ask at a garden store about pesticides. I just was hesitant to do so as I wasn't sure they would know a lot about cacti. Mild and general sounds like a good start though! I have already cleaned up all the leaf litter and dead stuff so the overall environment should be a little better now hopefully.
I probably should have said as well, that we have 2 dogs and I often see pigeons in the yard but I've never seen them on the cacti. I have also found a dead lizzard (a sleepy lizzard - not sure if thats an aussie only thing but they are about a foot long).
I have watered them a bit however don't want to give them too much love and root rot. I am going to get a moisture meter I think, to help me judge it a little better. Its a bit hard to stick your finger in the soil as the ground is fairly hard and I have no gardening experience to benefit from.
Last edited by daisy _416 on Tue Feb 13, 2018 12:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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ElieEstephane
Posts: 2909
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2016 12:10 am
Location: Lebanon (zone 11a)

Re: Are my cacti sick?

Post by ElieEstephane »

daisy _416 wrote: Tue Feb 13, 2018 12:29 pm To clean the plants, do I just wipe with water or something else?
I just meant to clean from leaf litter and debris, which you already did. So i have nothing to add :D
There are more cacti in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a) :mrgreen:
daisy _416
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:52 am
Location: Adelaide, South Australia (zone 10)

Re: Are my cacti sick?

Post by daisy _416 »

ElieEstephane wrote: Tue Feb 13, 2018 12:34 pm
daisy _416 wrote: Tue Feb 13, 2018 12:29 pm To clean the plants, do I just wipe with water or something else?
I just meant to clean from leaf litter and debris, which you already did. So i have nothing to add :D
Oh, excellent! Thank you!! :D
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