Are my cactuses sick?

[Talia]

I ordered some cactuses and one of them had a red dot on it that after looking on the internet I’m pretty sure is rust fungus (cactus 1) and the two bunny ear cactuses had these spots and one of them had a hole in it (cactus 2 and 3) before I noticed any of this I placed another order from the same company. I emailed the company and they sent me a replacement order of cactuses, the replacement order is all healthy apart from one bunny ear cactus that has a hole in it but looks otherwise healthy (cactus 4) but in the order that I had already placed before I noticed the problems with the first order, one of the cactuses had a red dot that looks like it could be rust fungus again (cactus 5), a bunny ear cactus has some light brown spots on it (cactus 6) and another cactus has this white scaly looking stuff on it (cactus 7)

Im not sure whether I should contact the company again because other than the first one with rust fungus I’m really not sure if any of the other cactuses have anything wrong with them. I don’t really know much about cactuses which is why I gave the photos numbers because I don’t know the proper names, I would be really grateful if someone could help me so I can stop worrying about my little cactuses

[ohugal]

Hi Talia,

If you suspect scale or mealybug, the best thing to do is to unpot the plant, wash it and repot it in fresh soil. Something you basically do after purchasing a new plant anyway. It also allows you to inspect the root system. A better close-up photo would be good. It's hard to tell at this point. Here's a guide on how to get rid of mealybug: viewtopic.php?t=41817. I've tried submerging a plant to get rid of scale but am not sure it works or not. When washing cacti always be careful with detergents or brushes to not damage the waxy layer some succulents have. I submerge my plants in 40°C water ranging from 10 to 20 minutes. I use a 99% biodegradable dish soap. After washing or submerging a cactus always leave it to dry for a few days in a well ventilated area out of direct sunlight. Repot it in proper cactus soil and withhold watering. Especially now during the dormant period. If you grow your cacti at room temperature (18-21°C) , then very sparingly water them every 4 to 6 weeks. Mine are now in a room at 16°C and I generally water them every 5 weeks (depending on the circumstances).

The opuntias seem to have physical damage or oedema as far as I can tell. In the case pf phyiscal damage there is not much you can do. If they have open, uncalloused wounds you can apply powdered charchoal, aluminum, sulphur or even cinnamon to disinfect. Oedema is a type of swelling created caused by too much moisture. I've experienced it with my opuntias when they are kept in a room at room temperature and too much humidity (during winter). I've tried countering it by lowering the temperature to 16°C and having a dehumidifier running most of the time. Stagnant air and high humidity (>60%) are not good for cacti.

I have experienced some fungal problems during the summer (also due to higher temperatures and high humidity) and treat it with spraying reticulated sulphur. It worked on an Echinocereus which was experiencing a fungal disease, but I tried it on an Aloe with black spot and doesn't seem to work.

I would like to say that I'm only growing cacti for +-3 years, so not that long. I hope more experienced members chip in. I've really learned a lot for this forum and it is a fantastic resource of knowledge.

Good luck.

[Talia]

Thank you so much for the helpful advice! Do I just need to wash the cactuses I’m worried about or all of them? I plan to repot them all in new soil but didn’t think I needed to wash them until now. And after I’ve washed them do I need to leave them bare rooted to dry out before I repot them?
Here’s a closer up photo of the scaly looking cactus (7) I’m not sure if this is just part of the cactus because it’s evenly all around the bottom

[ohugal]

It's a good practice to unpot, wash and repot your cacti after acquiring them. This does not have to done immediately and it also depends on the size off course. (If you do not wish to wash or repot cacti, a fews weeks of quarantine is important.) It allows you to inspect for pests more thouroughly and also take a look at the root system. You can leave them bare root to dry. This way you avoid possible root rot. If you repot when the roots are still moist you have a higher chance of infection.
Here are some additional topics regarding repotting:
viewtopic.php?t=41209
viewtopic.php?t=40641

In response to your picture, it doesn't look like any type of scale. The pattern is very symmetrical. What happens when you gently scratch it with your fingernail? Also, try poking it with the back of a pencil or something. Does it feel mushy in comparison to the rest of the plant? Do those white spots only appear on one side of the plant or all sides?

It looks like a Stenocereus pruinosus. https://llifle.com/Encyclopedia/CACTI/F ... _pruinosus.

[Mrs.Green]

Hi Talia and welcome to the forum The cactus in your last post seems to be fine, nothing wrong. You have already got a lot of advice from Ohugal, I will just just comment on one thing. The quarantine part; from my ( limited admittedly) experience, a few weeks isn’t enough to be sure.. I would have said at least three months or more. This will off course depend on temperature also, generally speaking, the higher the temperature, the faster the little critters ( bugs) will develop and multiply.

I wish you luck with your new cacti, just be careful, before you know it, you will run out of space! There is always some new cacti you will want..( speaking out of experience..)

[Talia]

I will probably re pot and quarantine my cactuses then because I’m worried I’ll accidentally kill them if I wash them
In response too ohugal, it does come off a bit when I scratch it with my nail but it’s not mushy in comparison to the rest of the plant and it’s on all sides of the cactus exactly the same, after looking at the photos on the link you sent me, I think you’re right, it probably is a stenocereus pruinosus, thanks!
In response to Mrs.Green, thank you! it’s great to hear my cactus is healthy! I will quarantine my cactuses for three months then, I can definitely see myself buying too many cactuses and running out of space

[Mrs.Green]

In response to Mrs.Green, thank you! it’s great to hear my cactus is healthy! I will quarantine my cactuses for three months then, I can definitely see myself buying too many cactuses and running out of space

Yes, I think that will be wise..( learned this the hard way myself) . It’s much easier to treat a few cacti for bugs, if you are unlucky, than treating a whole collection.

..and from my own experience again, sorry to break it to you Talia, but it’s probably already to late for you.. before you know it you find yourself surrounded by cacti, wondering what’s happened to you..

[greenknight]

Orange spots on cacti are not necessarily rust fungus, some cacti produce an orange pigment as a response to damage. For instance, I discovered, unhappily, that my Ferocactus pilosus will develop orange patches if exposed to a cold draft. Observe it during quarantine, examine it with a magnifier - if it doesn't spread or develop spore-bearing bodies it's probably not a problem.