Can this Cacti be helped?

Trouble shoot problems you are having with your cactus.
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Steve Johnson
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Re: Can this Cacti be helped?

Post by Steve Johnson »

jerrytheplater wrote: Sat Sep 10, 2022 9:48 pm Comment for all to reply to.

When I've had plants that were corked just like this plant, I've potted them up in a deep pot with the rooted area in a good growing mix and then filled the pot with gravel up to the base of the spherical portion. This way the corky area is out of sight and the plant looks better. It has worked for me.
Comments?
Yep, that's what I've been doing for years.
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Pd1973
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Re: Can this Cacti be helped?

Post by Pd1973 »

;)
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PlantCrazy
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Re: Can this Cacti be helped?

Post by PlantCrazy »

I performed my first ever Cactus operation! ☺
I followed the instructions I was given above to the best of my ability.
1) I tested the brown part and found that it was neither mushy rot or hardened cork. The inside was hollow!
2) I cut ( not very evenly!) until it was healthy, and applied sulfur. It was at this point that I had a Brandy!
3) I set it on a pot after trying various fancy contraptions. The spines seem to support it fine.

I hope the pictures work!
Thanks again to Steve Johnson, Pd, and Bryan T.
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Steve Johnson
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Re: Can this Cacti be helped?

Post by Steve Johnson »

PlantCrazy wrote: Sat Sep 17, 2022 8:05 pm I performed my first ever Cactus operation! ?
I followed the instructions I was given above to the best of my ability.
1) I tested the brown part and found that it was neither mushy rot or hardened cork. The inside was hollow!
2) I cut ( not very evenly!) until it was healthy, and applied sulfur. It was at this point that I had a Brandy!
3) I set it on a pot after trying various fancy contraptions. The spines seem to support it fine.
It looks like you did well with steps 1 and 2, but you were premature with step 3. Take the Echinocactus back out out of its pot. If there's any soil clinging to the sulfur powder, clean it off and apply more sulfur powder if required -- the cut surface needs to form a callus before you even think about potting the plant again. Here's an example of what I had to do when an Echinocereus pectinatus 'Coahuila' I got in 2013 lost its roots after 2 years of me not knowing what I was doing:

Image

Per that example, keep the plant upside down so that the cut has free airflow. When the callus is dry, simply shake off the excess sulfur powder, and you'll get something like what you see here. You won't see new roots stubs forming until the next growing season anyway, so I'll recommend that you keep the plant upside down until you're ready to repot in the spring (probably not before late April/early May in Scotland). Since we have a professional horticulturalist on the forum with deep knowledge of cacti and succulents, here's his approach to rooting:
MikeInOz wrote: Sat Sep 11, 2021 3:25 am I do use sulphur to dust large cuts. The trick is to properly season the cut. I normally sit the plant upside down in an airy shed until the wound is quite hard and the plant body dehydrated a bit then sit in a styrofoam cutting box on dry sand with a touch of humus in a warm slightly shaded spot. Lightly misting now and then seems to stimulate rooting, then when the roots have broken, a good soak followed by complete drying and repeat the cycle. I find it's good to let the plant root in the box for a whole season before lifting.
I don't think you'll need a styrofoam cutting box, and IMO a properly-sized pot should be fine. Unfortunately the diameter of the pot you have in your photo is too small, so look for a pot with a diameter that gives you a 15-20 mm. margin around the ends of the lower spines and the pot. Rather than go with the dry sand and a touch of humus Mike uses for rooting, a potful of fresh, dry cactus mix should be sufficient. When your spring is warm enough for repotting, place the Echinocactus on top of the mix and dig it in just enough to have the cut surface contact the mix -- don't dig in too deep. Mike is spot-on about lightly misting now and then to stimmulate rooting, so you'll need to be patient regarding the time it'll take for new roots to grow in. If I read what Mike said correctly, it sounds like the roots of your Echinocactus will need the better part of next year's growing season before they're grown in well enough to accept deep watering. If you'd like to take the plant out of the pot to see how the roots are doing, you'll have to wait for the spring of 2024.

What about that E. pectinatus of mine? If I knew then what I know from Mike now, I'm sure it would still be with me, but my patience gave out after about 6 months.
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
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jerrytheplater
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Re: Can this Cacti be helped?

Post by jerrytheplater »

Steve, he has the cactus sitting on an empty pot, he didn't pot it up yet.
Jerry Smith
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
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Steve Johnson
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Re: Can this Cacti be helped?

Post by Steve Johnson »

jerrytheplater wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 2:06 am Steve, he has the cactus sitting on an empty pot, he didn't pot it up yet.
Okay -- if that's correct, I'd still recommend that he puts it into bigger (empty) pot or container so he can leave it upside down until he's ready for repotting in spring.
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
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jerrytheplater
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Re: Can this Cacti be helped?

Post by jerrytheplater »

I leave mine just as he has done (cut side down) and have perfect results too, so it really does not matter which direction is up it seems. I put mine in a pot big enough to capture the plant by the spines before it hits the bottom of the pot. Obviously, when its time to pot it up, it goes into the right sized pot for the plant.
Jerry Smith
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
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PlantCrazy
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Re: Can this Cacti be helped?

Post by PlantCrazy »

Thank you for all your replies.
I suppose I didn't take the last photo at the right angle, but the spines hold the Cactus up and lots of air can get under it.
I really appreciate all the advice.

P.S. He is a she! 😊
FredBW
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Re: Can this Cacti be helped?

Post by FredBW »

Take what I am saying here with a grain of salt. Because i myself am only doing this for the first time. The thread i started a few days ago,about the old man of the Andes that had rot. Jerry and Steve said the same thing.
But I am going with both Steve and Jerry's advice.
To me keeping the cactus upside down at first makes complete sense. We are trying to dry out the cut and keep it from rotting. With it upside down,gravity should repel the moisture away from the cut. Where with it right side up,gravity is going to send moisture the wrong way.
But Jerry says the cut should be down. His idea is cactus send DOWN roots laying on their side,or even upside down. And I believe he has a valid point.
And the goal here is to get the cactus to root as soon as possible.
Sooo what makes sense to me is the keep it upside down until you are pretty sure it's callused over and the dangers of rot have gone way down.
Then turn it right side up,so it can think about where the roots are supposed to go.
I have no idea if I am right or wrong. But it just seems to make sense to me :) My cactus is upside down right now,and I will leave it that way until the cut is hard. Then I will turn it right side up on my Styrofoam cradle,keeping air on the cut. until growing season. when I will somewhat plant it.
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Steve Johnson
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Re: Can this Cacti be helped?

Post by Steve Johnson »

PlantCrazy wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 2:48 pm Thank you for all your replies.
I suppose I didn't take the last photo at the right angle, but the spines hold the Cactus up and lots of air can get under it.
I really appreciate all the advice.

P.S. He is a she! 😊
Oops -- my apologies for the boo-boo! :oops: It looks like you're doing everything right so far, and I hope that your rooting efforts will lead to success. Best of luck! :D
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
keith
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Re: Can this Cacti be helped?

Post by keith »

I root cactus often it looks good the only thing I would add is I cut the lower spines very short so they don't hold the cactus body off the ground .
Wear glasses when you cut the spines !!

I often cut the around the edges of the cut because the center part shrinks in. Growing season almost over here so depending on your climate it might not do much for awhile. I put the cut part on sand over soil after it callouses up during the growing season. Misting the top helps I think.

Dont deep water for some time.
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Steve Johnson
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Re: Can this Cacti be helped?

Post by Steve Johnson »

Question for you, Keith...

First, please see this:

https://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewto ... 53#p396453

Your rooting approach may work better than what I originally had in mind. Let me know if this is the sand I should use going on top of the soil:

https://www.amazon.com/Original-Ingredi ... 478&sr=8-7

Nothing I can do about it now, so I'm planning ahead for chop-chop time in March or April.
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
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PlantCrazy
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Re: Can this Cacti be helped?

Post by PlantCrazy »

FredBW wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 6:10 pm Take what I am saying here with a grain of salt. Because i myself am only doing this for the first time. The thread i started a few days ago,about the old man of the Andes that had rot. Jerry and Steve said the same thing.
But I am going with both Steve and Jerry's advice.
To me keeping the cactus upside down at first makes complete sense. We are trying to dry out the cut and keep it from rotting. With it upside down,gravity should repel the moisture away from the cut. Where with it right side up,gravity is going to send moisture the wrong way.
But Jerry says the cut should be down. His idea is cactus send DOWN roots laying on their side,or even upside down. And I believe he has a valid point.
And the goal here is to get the cactus to root as soon as possible.
Sooo what makes sense to me is the keep it upside down until you are pretty sure it's callused over and the dangers of rot have gone way down.
Then turn it right side up,so it can think about where the roots are supposed to go.
I have no idea if I am right or wrong. But it just seems to make sense to me :) My cactus is upside down right now,and I will leave it that way until the cut is hard. Then I will turn it right side up on my Styrofoam cradle,keeping air on the cut. until growing season. when I will somewhat plant it.
As a first/second timer, I appreciate your comment and might feel bold in turning it upside down, but I'll wait a wee bit till the courage comes back!
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PlantCrazy
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Re: Can this Cacti be helped?

Post by PlantCrazy »

Steve Johnson wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 6:29 pm
PlantCrazy wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 2:48 pm Thank you for all your replies.
I suppose I didn't take the last photo at the right angle, but the spines hold the Cactus up and lots of air can get under it.
I really appreciate all the advice.

P.S. He is a she! 😊
Oops -- my apologies for the boo-boo! :oops: It looks like you're doing everything right so far, and I hope that your rooting efforts will lead to success. Best of luck! :D
Thank you. 👍
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jerrytheplater
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Re: Can this Cacti be helped?

Post by jerrytheplater »

jerrytheplater wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 2:47 am I leave mine just as he has done
I can't let Steve take all of the blame, I was involved here too! Sorry, it was not malicious in intent.
Jerry Smith
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
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