Rotting Cactus

MichaelCactus · Post by **MichaelCactus** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 6:01 am

Hello to you all. My name is Michael and im 15 and live in Australia, ive been buying cactus and succelents with my dad for a few years now, know nothing about them either does my dad. I was going to make a few other topics but then i noticed this.

Well every weekend me and my dad goto the sunday market and buy a few cacti, well we bought this new one for $12 (ripp of considering it was all for the pot im gonna take it out of) We also bought a few smaller ones which i will post another time. I was looking at the cactus when i noticed the spikes looked quite dead around the bottom, i looked down and noticed it had all scars and what looks like rot at the bottom.
Only thing is, its hard, doesnt smell, not squishy and the top looks fine.
I suspect this is old rot from before we bought it and it has gotten better.
Also, the "rot" goes all the way around the bottom.

My question is, is it fine, is there anything i have to do to it, and is it fine to plant in the ground (its summer here).
Also maybe one of you could identify it, the photos are crappy so it may be hard.
Thanks Michael.
http://s271.photobucket.com/albums/jj15 ... us%20sick/

Merry Xmas to you all!

hegar · Post by **hegar** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 7:13 am

Hello Michael,
first of all: welcome to the cactus forum. It is nice to have someone else from "down under" sign up, and especially good, that it is yet another young person.
Now to your cactus. I would guess, that it is an Echinocactus sp., but I am not certain about my assessment.
The problem that you describe as a "rot" is most likely only a cosmetic issue. Maybe the plant was exposed to unfavorable environmental conditions (drought) or it was just buried to that point and thus formed the discolored area. The top does look fine to me and you telling us, that the bottom of the plant (discolored area) is firm, is also a good sign. When you transplant the cactus, be careful about not injuring its root system. If in doubt, it would be wise to let the roots air dry for a week or so before placing the plant in the ground. This will allow for the healing of damaged root tissue and prevent the entry of possible rot organisms, when planting. The cactus will be set back a bit, but will in time form new roots and start growing again.
I do wish you a lot of luck and success with your cactus growing hobby and also want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a beautiful and Happy New Year 2008.

Harald

MichaelCactus · Post by **MichaelCactus** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 9:30 am

Thank you for that Harald, after tomorrow, i shall unpot it and let the roots dry. Ill take a photo of the underside like a few people have for the other rot topics, so if its alright, you could tell me if anythings bad about it.

hob · Post by **hob** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 9:41 am

i agree with Harald on that, its not rot, just how the base of some cacti go with age. it should be fine

MichaelCactus · Post by **MichaelCactus** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 9:52 am

To me it looks like it had gotten rot, then the person has dried it out and let it heal, then replanted it.
But you's are the ones who should know so TY.

Btw, How can you tell what cactus is what, when i see a cactus, most of them look the same, except for the really big differences. While i was looking through the cacti list on the sidebar, i see like 3 of the exactly same cacti, but with different names, i mean with a completely different name, the whole scientific name not just a "sub category" of it.

hob · Post by **hob** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 10:17 am

MichaelCactus wrote:To me it looks like it had gotten rot, then the person has dried it out and let it heal, then replanted it.
But you's are the ones who should know so TY.

very few if any cacti survive rot and any that do only do so if all the rot is cut away and the healthy bit left to heal over before re rooting (allowing the cut to heal prevents rot getting back in)

MichaelCactus wrote: Btw, How can you tell what cactus is what, when i see a cactus, most of them look the same, except for the really big differences. While i was looking through the cacti list on the sidebar, i see like 3 of the exactly same cacti, but with different names, i mean with a completely different name, the whole scientific name not just a "sub category" of it.

that's something that comes with time and experience, little details like the type of spines and the number of spines, subtle differences in body shape,has it got ribs, the number and type of ribs, type of flowers and where the flowers come from IE top of the plant or from lower down toward the base

have another look and see if you can spot some of those. i'm not that good myself

but i can see differences in some of them.

MichaelCactus · Post by **MichaelCactus** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 10:22 am

Well then it must just be in the skin. Will it ever go back to being nice and green?

Ok, but theres some that look the same, same spines, same ribs, same flowers, but are in a different species, quite confuseing :S
Like you say, all in time.

Sorry for all thse questions im flooding you all with, im just very interested in cacti now.

phil_SK · Post by **phil_SK** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 10:27 am

Agree with Hob that it's experience. I've spent years thumbing through every library book I could lay my hands on and books found in charity shops, cheap book stores and, more recently, proper specialist books. Places like here and the internet more generally play a part though there are a lot of wrongly identified/labelled plants on some sites.
When it's something you've grown yourself you recognise it easily too. Your plant looks just like one I had labelled "Wigginsia sp." The genus Wigginsia has been swallowed up first by Notocactus and then by Parodia (which is where the likes of Desert Tropicals will refer you if you type in Wigginsia). I was going to recommend you look at this site but the photos seem to be down at the moment

MichaelCactus · Post by **MichaelCactus** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 10:31 am

Yes, i will find some books and read up on them.

Harald says its Echinocactus sp, but you say its Wigginsia sp. Is the SP something like certain type of spines then the 1st part is a different family?

hob · Post by **hob** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 10:37 am

MichaelCactus wrote:Well then it must just be in the skin. Will it ever go back to being nice and green?

no it will not go back to being green again but as the plant grows bigger it will become less noticeable, have you got a name for it ?? my guess would be Parodia sellowii also known as notocactus sellowii

here is mine for you to compare

hob · Post by **hob** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 10:43 am

phil_SK wrote:Your plant looks just like one I had labelled "Wigginsia sp." The genus Wigginsia has been swallowed up first by Notocactus and then by Parodia

yes when i got mine it was labelled Wigginsia sellowii

MichaelCactus · Post by **MichaelCactus** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 10:44 am

Ohwell i guess it adds a bit of detail to it.

I dont think it is the one you posted Hob, as myne only has 3 spines to every bit they come out of, where that one has many.

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 10:51 am

sp. is short for species.

Each name is made up of a genus and a species. Other things like ssp. (subspecies) var. (variation or variety) and f. (form or forma) can also be added after the genus and species in a name.

Opuntia engelmannii var. linguiformis f. monstrosa
genus + species + var. + f.

Echinopsis haematantha ssp. kuehrichii
Genus + species + subspecies

Here are a few pages to read up on.
How to write a scientific name
http://www.cactiguide.com/article/?article=article1.php

Terminology
http://www.cactiguide.com/terminology/

MichaelCactus · Post by **MichaelCactus** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 11:01 am

That makes more sense Corona.
But how can you all remember which ones belong to which group when so many look so simmilar and remember the names at the same time.

hob · Post by **hob** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 11:08 am

MichaelCactus wrote:That makes more sense Corona.
But how can you all remember which ones belong to which group when so many look so simmilar and remember the names at the same time.

this site is useful for that

http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/index.html

btw to make life even more difficult spine counts can vary too, i still think your plant is Parodia sellowii simply because of the rib pattern and the classic notocactus yellow flower.