Hello fellow Cacti lovers:
I am thrilled to discover this CactiForum for collectors all over the world.
I have collected many types of cacti over the years, and love their beauty and durability.
Unfortunately, I am afraid I have a sick Barrel Cactus that I left outside in the Florida sun and rain during the summer.
It has turned purple/red and the soil is very moist. I removed it from the pot and see that it has lost its roots. See photo.
Can anyone advise about what I can do to save this lovely cactus? I was thinking of repotting it into fresh dry soil and letting it re-root.
Any suggestions???
Thank you to all.
New from Florida -- Need Help with my Barrel Cactus
New from Florida -- Need Help with my Barrel Cactus
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Re: New from Florida -- Need Help with my Barrel Cactus
Hi Laurel,
The purple red is just looks like sun colour rather than actual scorch, merely a sign of stress so no worries as our plants are used to stress.
I would gradually pare away that lump of calloused tissue on the base with a sharp knife until you find healthy green tissue, dust it with sulphur or rooting hormone then let it stand "dry root" in the shade for a week or so for a new callous to form. Then try potting it up and rooting it into something like pumice or even coarse grit that drains freely.
The problem can be with the old hard callouses formed when roots are lost they can be so tough and thick new roots have a job getting through them. Cacti can sometimes take quite a time to root since they don't just whither away like normal plants. You can try regularly mist spraying the plant rather than soaking the soil to encourage it to root.
The purple red is just looks like sun colour rather than actual scorch, merely a sign of stress so no worries as our plants are used to stress.
I would gradually pare away that lump of calloused tissue on the base with a sharp knife until you find healthy green tissue, dust it with sulphur or rooting hormone then let it stand "dry root" in the shade for a week or so for a new callous to form. Then try potting it up and rooting it into something like pumice or even coarse grit that drains freely.
The problem can be with the old hard callouses formed when roots are lost they can be so tough and thick new roots have a job getting through them. Cacti can sometimes take quite a time to root since they don't just whither away like normal plants. You can try regularly mist spraying the plant rather than soaking the soil to encourage it to root.