CactiGuide.com

I live in Iowa and in November of 2015 a neighbor was giving three of these away so I took one. I do not know where it came from or where it is native to. The first picture is of when I got it a little over a year ago. The other pictures were taken within the last week. Currently I have it in a corner that does not get a ton of sunlight and I am not watering very often... starting to think maybe I should give the cactus more of both. I have fertilized it minimally with a compost team from Earl May but nothing more than that. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Tinsley11 wrote:Currently I have it in a corner that does not get a ton of sunlight and I am not watering very often... starting to think maybe I should give the cactus more of both.

These can take a lot of sun, and a plant that size will take quite a bit of watering if kept in a small pot. It currently looks very dry, I assume thats's the casue of the brown stems (rather than a pest or disease)
It should never be left standing in water, water thoroughly and allow excess to drain away, allow to dry out before next watering.
If kept somewhere cool in winter, it can be allowed to dry out for a few weeks, if warmer it will prefer watering more frequently. Cold and wet is often a lethal combination.

I assume that Iowa winter sunshine won't cause a problem if you move it into a sunny place straight away, plants can sunburn if not allowed to gradually get used to a mcuh brighter light level.

esp_imaging wrote:

Tinsley11 wrote:Currently I have it in a corner that does not get a ton of sunlight and I am not watering very often... starting to think maybe I should give the cactus more of both.

These can take a lot of sun, and a plant that size will take quite a bit of watering if kept in a small pot. It currently looks very dry, I assume thats's the casue of the brown stems (rather than a pest or disease)
It should never be left standing in water, water thoroughly and allow excess to drain away, allow to dry out before next watering.
If kept somewhere cool in winter, it can be allowed to dry out for a few weeks, if warmer it will prefer watering more frequently. Cold and wet is often a lethal combination.

I assume that Iowa winter sunshine won't cause a problem if you move it into a sunny place straight away, plants can sunburn if not allowed to gradually get used to a mcuh brighter light level.

Thanks for the good advice!!

It's not a cactus but a Euphorbia - and they generally are more senitive to low temperatures than cacti.

Another possibility is a buildup of mineral salts in the soil. That makes it difficult for the plant to take up water. This is an old plant, and probably hasn't been repotted for years, if the soil has never been leached, salt buildup is almost certain. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/housep ... plants.htm