Inherited cacti need some help

[Rez_at_Dorsia]

Hello all! New member here looking for some advice for my cacti. I have recently inherited two cacti after a friends passing. Due to the circumstances I am unsure how often they have been watered or received nutrients but they both are looking a little funky to me and I am unsure of what steps to take at this point. The only thing I know for sure is that the taller cactus with pups was cut by my friend in recent history. I have watered them both within the last month but the smaller one is starting to look pretty rough and I'm not sure if it's needing more water/nutrients or less but something is not right with it. I'm also concerned about the looks of the taller variety but again, I do not know enough to know whether the skin is just showing signs of age or if it needs some sort of intervention.

I have bought rooting powder in the event that I need to cut one or both of them to save them but I wanted to consult with somebody with more insight before making that choice. I apologize if I have not provided enough details/pictures but I will be happy to give more if needed. Thanks in advance!

[Tom in Tucson]

It could be: Trichocereus pachanoi

[Rez_at_Dorsia]

It could be: Trichocereus pachanoi

Hi Tom! Yes I believe that is what the larger one with pups is. Do you have any opinions on what might be going on with the smaller one? Unfortunately it looks like some type of rot is occurring with the yellow/black/grey discoloration. It doesn't feel super squishy or anything but I'm trying to figure out what it needs to thrive or if I need to cut it to save the healthy looking portion. Thanks!

[Steve Johnson]

Hi Rez,

The cactus on the left has been grown in a very soil-heavy mix, and I'm pretty sure the one on the right is in the same mix. Bad for desert cacti because their roots need to be in a free-draining mix with good aeration. Your growing season is coming to an end, so unfortunately now is not a good time to make changes. Desert cacti go dormant in fall and winter, so keep yours completely dry. The game plan for next spring:

• Create a mix with only 2 ingredients -- mineral gravel and soil. Pumice is ideal, although I don't know if you'll be able to buy it at a local nursery (you can buy it online, but it tends to be pretty expensive). Calcined clay pebbles are a good alternative, and you'll find them on Amazon here:
  
  https://www.amazon.com/s?k=calcined+cla ... doa-p_1_17
  
  My default recommendation is 50% mineral gravel/50% soil mix, although you can go even leaner -- 2 or 3 parts mineral and 1 part soil. Commercial potting soils tend to be rich in organic material (usually shredded tree bark), and that's also not good for desert cacti. Here's what you can do -- get an empty container and use a piece of fiberglass window screen as a sieve. Sieve the soil into the container, then throw away the organic stuff sitting on the window screen. Tiny bits of organic material in the soil won't be a problem -- add it to the mineral gravel, mix well, and you're set.

• Unpot the cacti and clean the old soil out of the roots as thoroughly as possible. Let them dry, then repot in fresh dry mix. Let the plants settle in for 2 weeks, and give them deep watering. Water every 2 weeks in the spring-summer growing season.

• Your pots are way too big. The basic "rule of thumb" for sizing pots -- 1" margin around the root ball, 1" margin between the lowest root and the bottom of the pot. When you unpot your cacti and get the roots clean, you'll be able to calculate the correct size of the pots based on those margins.

With regard to fertilizers, we're getting into the "tall grass":

viewtopic.php?t=47603

There are no off-the-shelf fertilizers ideally suited to cacti and succulents. That's why fert supplements are required, so the presentation will give you some insight into how we can approach it. Getting the right fert and supplements will be on your to-do list next spring. If you need some help figuring it out, let me know.

It could be: Trichocereus pachanoi

Good call on the ID. Tom -- what proportions of mineral and soil would you recommend for Rez? I don't have any experience growing Trichocereus, but I believe you do, so I'll defer to your advice.

[Rez_at_Dorsia]

Hi Steve!

Thank you so much for all of the insight and wonderful advice! This is exactly the kind of knowledge I was hoping to learn here. Everything you said makes sense and I will be sure to get appropriate sized pots and create a proper soil mixture so that I will be ready to get these plants a proper home in the spring!

Just to make sure I understand correctly, I should essentially do nothing for now other than keep them dry until spring? Also I was planning on moving them inside to my sunniest window once nighttime temperatures drop below 50F. Is that the proper approach for helping them achieve dormancy?

Thanks again!

[Steve Johnson]

Just to make sure I understand correctly, I should essentially do nothing for now other than keep them dry until spring? Also I was planning on moving them inside to my sunniest window once nighttime temperatures drop below 50F. Is that the proper approach for helping them achieve dormancy?

Yep, you got it. When cacti go dormant in fall and winter, their roots are asleep and unable to take up water, so keeping your plants indoors to protect them from rain or snow is the right strategy. When spring comes around again, look for the following outdoor temps -- overnight lows consistently above the low 50s, daytime highs consistently above the low 70s. That'll trigger the start of the growing season. Going by West Virginia's climate averages, figure on May.

Glad I can help, and please let me know if you need some guidance on what to do about fertilizers.

[Rez_at_Dorsia]

Thanks for the confirmation Steve!

I truly appreciate your advice and guidance. I will hopefully be able to post an update with them looking healthy in their new home in the spring!

I might reach out to you at some point about the fertilizer too. Thanks again!

[Steve Johnson]

Thanks for the confirmation Steve!

I truly appreciate your advice and guidance. I will hopefully be able to post an update with them looking healthy in their new home in the spring!

I might reach out to you at some point about the fertilizer too. Thanks again!

My pleasure!