Sick Saguaro

Trouble shoot problems you are having with your cactus.
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Peterthecactusguy
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Sick Saguaro

Post by Peterthecactusguy »

I notice this in my yard today. There was always a weird spot on it from when it had braces on it holding it up. It got badly sunburnt when the braces were taken off.

Image It looks like it's got some bad rot. :(

Imagehere is a close up.

What should I do? Should I chop out the blackened areas or should I leave it be ? Would cutting it out actually do anything useful or is it going to die like the other one that is rotting in the In-laws yard?
Here's to you, all you insidious creatures of green..er I mean cacti.
daiv
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Post by daiv »

Wish I could tell ya Peter, but I have no Saguaro experience. If it were me, I'd probably let it alone.
All Cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are Cacti
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Peterthecactusguy
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Post by Peterthecactusguy »

Daiv,
I have some experience but it doesn't look too healthy and it happened rather quickly. I don't know either. I will leave it alone for not unless someone else tells me otherwise.

Saguaros are tough. So maybe it can fight it off. I will of course keep an eye on things.
Here's to you, all you insidious creatures of green..er I mean cacti.
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TimN
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Post by TimN »

I've never done it myself, but I've seen pictures of a local guy who treats rotting saguaros.

He chopped all the rotten stuff off then treated it with a bleach solution. He seems to swear by it.

It probably won't improve on it's own...
Disclaimer: I'm in sunny Arizona, so any advice I give may not apply in your circumstances.

Tim
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Peterthecactusguy
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Post by Peterthecactusguy »

Tim, it's worth a shot. After all this rain I might do surgery. Do you know what% bleach he uses? I think around 10% usually right?

I have a feeling if I leave it alone it will look like the other one that I caught when it was bleeding the brown gunk out of it's flesh.
Here's to you, all you insidious creatures of green..er I mean cacti.
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PapaBearJay
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Post by PapaBearJay »

Brown blood huh? Seems fantastic!
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TimN
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Post by TimN »

10% sounds good. Don't be timid about taking out the rotten stuff. I saw pictures on that guys site (can't find it now) that showed huge chunks cut out of them and still standing.
Disclaimer: I'm in sunny Arizona, so any advice I give may not apply in your circumstances.

Tim
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Peterthecactusguy
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Post by Peterthecactusguy »

Tim I won't. I will work on it tomorrow when it dries out a little bit the recent rain made it ooze out the brown gunk.

PBJ,
it's not fantastic. It's horrible. The brown gunk is rotten fleshy water from the cactus. It smells like rotting cactus.
Here's to you, all you insidious creatures of green..er I mean cacti.
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Peterthecactusguy
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Post by Peterthecactusguy »

I did some probing and I believe the whole cactus is effected so I don't have much choice. If I had money I would have it removed, but I don't have the means to do this, so it will stay for now.

:(
RIP poor saguaro that was moved due to greed of a natural gas company.
I don't blame myself, Native Resources the company that moved them, or my ex-in-laws. I blame Transwestern Pipeline...
Here's to you, all you insidious creatures of green..er I mean cacti.
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PapaBearJay
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Post by PapaBearJay »

Do you have some pictures to share with the rest of us from your probing?
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Peterthecactusguy
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Post by Peterthecactusguy »

I didn't take any closeups, just a general one. It's rotten for about 2/3s of the cactus on the one side... IT stinks now too :(
Here's to you, all you insidious creatures of green..er I mean cacti.
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