Saving my Mammillaria

[mikelattanzi]

Some time ago I got a Mammillaria Crinita (please correct me if am I wrong) that a friend gave to me, it was very well for around 10 months.

It was in a perfect state as you can see here, it also bloom a lot:




But since one month ago I made something wrong for sure and it became to turn brown and smaller and smaller every day, I try with more and less water and with more and less sun... nothing worked, and I had no one to ask at that moment.

After reading some posts and before to drop it to garbage I decided to cut all the dead parts (the main plant and some offsets) and just got one offset that seems to be not so bad, I would like to make this tiny one rooting again if possible and start from zero. The roots seems to be all dry. I don't know if it can works and how much time I should put it off the soil before try to rooting again.

Following some pictures of the actual status:










Thanks a lot!!!

[DaveW]

Pull all that dead dry stuff off with a pair of tweezers until you get to sound tissue then leave it to callous over for a week or so until replanting it. It's the same principle as the doctors do in removing a dirty scab in order to let a clean one form, also the roots would have to grow down through all that dead tissue which is harder than if it is removed.

[mikelattanzi]

What is the best method to store it until it is ready for repotting?, just lying on a paper?

Thanks Dave!!!

[mikelattanzi]

I just did it. As soon as I tried to remove the dry dead parts (I did it carefully) those parts just separated... I think even there where some dry part "growing" inside (see the small deeper hole next to the pink pulp)!

Here are some autopsy pics!

Let me know your comments!

[DaveW]

Just leave it lying around on your paper and let it dry, or you can dust it with sulphur, or even rooting powder to help it to callous over. When they have a hollow in like that after they have calloused over and I replant them I usually pour some of the soil into the hollow before I turn it over and place it on the soil in the pot.

[mikelattanzi]

Thanks a lot for your help, I will update this post in with the next steps!

[CactusFanDan]

That looks good, it should recover fairly easily.

[mikelattanzi]

Three days gone and the callous is almost done!... it is my very first time doing this, so I am very anxious!!! =), thanks a lot for your help!, I will keep you posted!

[DaveW]

It always depends whether the rot went far enough up the offset to kill the growing point, but if not it should be OK and with some of the larger tubercled species like Dolichothele
(=Mammillaria) you can even propagate from tubercles if the rest has rotted. Anyway good luck as it's always worth a try to save plants.