Normal growth?

Trouble shoot problems you are having with your cactus.
Post Reply
gillinger
Posts: 179
Joined: Mon May 06, 2019 3:49 pm
Location: North Yorkshire, UK

Normal growth?

Post by gillinger »

This is my Echinocereus rigidissimus rubrispinus. It's having a growth spurt but I'm a bit concerned that no spines are coming through, except for at the crown. Is this a normal growth pattern?
Attachments
20220610_113838.jpg
20220610_113838.jpg (90.98 KiB) Viewed 657 times
"Once in a while you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right"
Location: The sunny North of England!
User avatar
Tom in Tucson
Posts: 426
Joined: Sun Jan 02, 2022 4:12 pm
Location: NW Tucson AZ area

Re: Normal growth?

Post by Tom in Tucson »

This is not normal. My suggestions:

More sun

Less nitrogen from soil or fertilizer
User avatar
anttisepp
Posts: 1348
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2010 12:00 pm
Location: Suomi - Finland

Re: Normal growth?

Post by anttisepp »

Something happened during winter rest. Maybe it spent much time in shade. Don't worry this spineless belt will not be very wide and many cacti can grow additional new spines.
gillinger
Posts: 179
Joined: Mon May 06, 2019 3:49 pm
Location: North Yorkshire, UK

Re: Normal growth?

Post by gillinger »

Thanks, guys. I bought it last year from a reputable grower, but at one point it was plagued by mealy bugs, which I treated with methylayed spirits. It seems clean now. It's been out in the greenhouse over winter and is now getting plenty of sun. It's fed with the same stuff all my other cacti get and everything else is growing splendidly this year.
I'm inclined to think maybe the stress of mealybug treatments has caused this. Hoping it's just a blip as the top is sprouting reasonable spines now. I'll report back in the autumn with an update.
"Once in a while you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right"
Location: The sunny North of England!
Post Reply