Hello!!! I have this little cactus that appears to be turning white around the top! I'm not sure why, any advice or ideas what it might be anyone??
Is the "green part" turning white, or does it "look" white because a new batch of pickers are white? We need a more defined view with more pixels.
Could be "false spider mites". I would carefully look for them on the plant, because they are dangerous and are likely to come back. Even if they have left for now it is usually possible to find dead ones. It could also be sunburn, if the plant has been exposed to the sun after being protected from ultraviolet light for an extended period of time. Root death and cold damage are other, but less common, possibilites. It looks as if it is growing healthy skin now (the green furrows around the apex), so I think the roots are fine, and cold damage is very unlikely at this time of the year.
Hello!! Thanks so much for both replies. I have added some more photos, they're not great but might be slightly easier to see. The white is definitely on the skin itself and now looks as though it is eating into the skin.
The white area is scar tissue. The plant could have been damaged close to the apex, and the scar is now moving downwards as the body grows, hence the ring shape. I see small, dark dots that could be dead mites, but I am not sure. What do you mean by "eating into the skin"? Is the white area sunken?
Hi! Thanks for your reply! Yes, it appears that the longer the white are has been present it's now sinking slightly, not a great deal but maybe 1mm or 2 since I first noticed it. Is this something that will heal over time or do you think I am fighting a losing battle?
The white will not revert to the original green condition, just move further down and eventually reach the base. It is normal for scar tissue to become sunken like that. Nothing to do about that, it is more important to prevent it from happening again.
Thanks for your reply! Actually it does make sense, we have been in the process of moving house a few times over the last 6 months so may very well have been damaged during this time.
