Cactus Root Bunches, White Fuzz, and Root Loss?
Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2021 6:32 pm
A few months ago, I noticed my Cactus was wobbly in his pot. I'm not sure why exactly. I thought maybe I could try to repot him and spread his roots out more evenly.
Then, when I took him out to repot today, I noticed a white fuzz around a part of his roots right underneath his body, where the roots meet up in a bunch. So I have a few questions about this:
1) I'm thinking the fuzz is from watering with tap water? I didn't notice anything moving on him, and it's just this and one or two smaller fuzz patches, so I don't think it's bugs?
I bought a bottle of distilled water, which I'm hoping will be better? I've been waiting for rain because I hear that's best for them, but it hasn't rained in a while and doesn't seem like it will soon
2) How do I remove that white fuzz? Or should it stay on him? I was thinking giving him a soak, but am not sure if I should soak in just water or with something else?
3) Is it normal for that middle part of his roots to be bunched up right under him? I'm wondering if maybe there's thin roots all wrapped up in there, and soaking will help separate those, too? I tried using my fingers and a little stick, but couldn't separate that bunch. I figured that section was meant to be more tightly bound because it's directly underneath him, but I'm not sure.
Here's a photo of him now, that white fuzzy in the middle of that section of roots right under his body: And here I circled that white fuzzy: I also noticed it looks like he has less roots than when I repotted him last March (2020). I didn't see many root pieces in the potting mix I dumped out, but maybe they were too thin to notice. My friend pointed out that he looks bigger, too. And looking at my photos from March, it does look like he has more green up top! So I'm wondering if what seems like root loss is just him being bigger up top?
This photo is from March: This photo is from today: Do you think he's lost roots or is it just he's grown bigger? And any advice what to do about the white fuzzy?
Thanks!
Then, when I took him out to repot today, I noticed a white fuzz around a part of his roots right underneath his body, where the roots meet up in a bunch. So I have a few questions about this:
1) I'm thinking the fuzz is from watering with tap water? I didn't notice anything moving on him, and it's just this and one or two smaller fuzz patches, so I don't think it's bugs?
I bought a bottle of distilled water, which I'm hoping will be better? I've been waiting for rain because I hear that's best for them, but it hasn't rained in a while and doesn't seem like it will soon
2) How do I remove that white fuzz? Or should it stay on him? I was thinking giving him a soak, but am not sure if I should soak in just water or with something else?
3) Is it normal for that middle part of his roots to be bunched up right under him? I'm wondering if maybe there's thin roots all wrapped up in there, and soaking will help separate those, too? I tried using my fingers and a little stick, but couldn't separate that bunch. I figured that section was meant to be more tightly bound because it's directly underneath him, but I'm not sure.
Here's a photo of him now, that white fuzzy in the middle of that section of roots right under his body: And here I circled that white fuzzy: I also noticed it looks like he has less roots than when I repotted him last March (2020). I didn't see many root pieces in the potting mix I dumped out, but maybe they were too thin to notice. My friend pointed out that he looks bigger, too. And looking at my photos from March, it does look like he has more green up top! So I'm wondering if what seems like root loss is just him being bigger up top?
This photo is from March: This photo is from today: Do you think he's lost roots or is it just he's grown bigger? And any advice what to do about the white fuzzy?
Thanks!