Leaning Mamm

Discuss repotting, soil, lighting, fertilizing, watering, etc. in this category.
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oldcat61
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Leaning Mamm

Post by oldcat61 »

I have what I've been told is a Mamm. spinosissima. This summer it has started to lean more than it did when I got it. I should note it was a rescue from a closing garden center. It bloomed well & as can be seen by the spine changes, has grown this summer. It seems firm in the pot, like it's well rooted. The really weird part is that the lean is away from the sun, not toward it as I would expect. Only problem I've had - it is a mealy bug magnet. Constantly have to check/spray. I just finished the Bayer drench on everyone before I cut back on their watering. Should I re-pot & try to straighten? Wait until spring? I'll need to do something as the pot is getting unstable. Ideas? Sue
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cactushobbyman
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Re: Leaning Mamm

Post by cactushobbyman »

It could be several things. I had one where the root system was weak. Another is leaning because it is too tall. Maybe growing too fast. Stake it and wait until spring. Just be careful of the roots. :D
DaveW
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Re: Leaning Mamm

Post by DaveW »

Just re-pot it in dry soil as you are at the end of your growing season so it is straight up again, it would also enable you to check the roots are OK at the same time.
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greenknight
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Re: Leaning Mamm

Post by greenknight »

It's not uncommon for tall Mammillarias to become trailing plants, and this is how it starts - they develop a lean. You can straighten it up, like Dave says - but you may have to keep it permanently staked if you want to stop it from doing that again.

My M. rhodantha ssp. pringlei started doing that, and I reset it straight, with a couple of rocks next to it to keep it from leaning that way again (thought that would look better than stakes). It proceeded to bend above the rocks and grow that direction anyway. It then had a curved stem, no way to straighten it at that point. I just put some more rocks in the other side of the pot as counterweight and let it be.

So that doesn't work. Supporting the whole stem with stakes might - and I agree with Dave, you should do it now. The longer it leans that way, the more it's going to take a set.
Spence :mrgreen:
andrewleenyk
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Re: Leaning Mamm

Post by andrewleenyk »

It looks to me as if the cactus isn't really getting enough light so it is reaching for it, maybe from the flowering it needs more nutrients? Im not really sure though but what I have been told is to rotate my plants daily. You can maybe try rotating it? If it doesn't work, then re-potting and hope for the best would be good. What I would do in your situation is rotate the plant 180 degrees and keep it there for a while to see if it becomes straight.
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oldcat61
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Re: Leaning Mamm

Post by oldcat61 »

If you read the first post, I mention that it is leaning away from the sun. Weird. When my husband has a chance to help me, I'll repot & check the roots. Sue
andrewleenyk
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Re: Leaning Mamm

Post by andrewleenyk »

Oh sorry
cjbaker
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Re: Leaning Mamm

Post by cjbaker »

One of my Mammilarias (some day I'll request an ID) grew straight as a cylinder for the past 8 years or so, and then this summer when I started giving it strong sun and the proper soil, it decided to start reclining and growing much larger at the top. At first I tried to straighten it by pushing it against something, but when I moved it it was even more bent than before. But now I've let it recline, and it has grown pups all over the part of the base facing upwards. Though no longer a cylinder, I think the new growth habit is attractive and will become more so as the pups mature. Not sure if yours will pup, but maybe it will look better once it "grows into" its new position?
Craig [my pictures]
DaveW
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Re: Leaning Mamm

Post by DaveW »

Rotating plants, whilst it may keep them straight, can sometimes inhibit flowering since nobody rotates plants in habitat, therefore they get used to light from the same direction. In the greenhouse they can often get used to sun from a certain direction and turning the other side to the sun may result in sunburn. With some cacti like Christmas cacti even moving the plant in bud to different conditions can cause bud drop. Plants don't get moved around in habitat therefore get used to sun from the same direction all their lives. Also some species become procumbent or decumbent (lying down with the ends turned up) as they get longer and more mature and that is natural growth. Agreed it can be a problem indoors with only a window for light and when they lean you do not have the space to let them ramble.

http://www.cactus-art.biz/note-book/Dic ... umbent.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

viewtopic.php?t=18093" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

viewtopic.php?t=13445" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Some procumbent and decumbent older specimens lower down this link:-

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1717/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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oldcat61
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Re: Leaning Mamm

Post by oldcat61 »

With hubby's help, I repotted my leaner. Wow did that baby have roots! When I rescued him, last April, he was in plain garden dirt with bugs & not great roots. Really likes the oil dry, pumice, cactus soil mix. I righted him but if the lean comes back then that must be his nature. At least I know there were no underground problems. Since some of the roots were plastered against the clay walls, I've put him in a glazed ceramic pot I stole from one of the amaryllis in need of more room. Looks like I'm going pot shopping tomorrow; twist my arm. Thanks for all your help. Sue
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greenknight
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Re: Leaning Mamm

Post by greenknight »

My case was a bit like what Craig described - the plant started making new growth that was fatter than the lower stem after I repotted it (I'd let it get too root bound), then it started to lean.

It got so overbalanced, before it had even rooted down well in the new pot, that it uprooted itself partially - that's when I decided to straighten it. I pressed the mix down much more firmly then, and at least that problem didn't recur. Yours probably has a large enough root ball to prevent that happening, but I thought I should warn you of the possibility.
Spence :mrgreen:
KittieKAT
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Re: Leaning Mamm

Post by KittieKAT »

I think that's a funny one a cacti leaning away from the sun! Hehehe! I rotate mine but a few are over due but it's winter and they will burn in the sun if left there. Good luck hun hope everything works out for u And yr cacti :)
Let us kno how things are going
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oldcat61
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Re: Leaning Mamm

Post by oldcat61 »

Update - guess my "leaner" liked the attention of a bigger pot. Straight, new spines & lots of flowers. Thanks for the advice, I'm glad I didn't wait. Sue
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iann
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Re: Leaning Mamm

Post by iann »

Mine is flowering today also. Hard to know what to do with this species. Treat it generously and you get lots of growth and lots of flowers, but it gets very tall and eventually just topples. Treat it hard and it will stay upright, but you'll have much less growth and fewer flowers.
--ian
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cactushobbyman
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Re: Leaning Mamm

Post by cactushobbyman »

Very healthy and nice recovery. I have a leaner and I watered it and it straightened up. As it gets older it elongates and reclines. :D
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