I had five large cacti delivered today 3 of them survived 2 of them have damage they are peruvian cactus one of them has a stem broken off completely and the other has a stem broken off three feet up they are large cacti, that is why they were so difficult to move What can I do to eliminate any shock for all of them? And can I re-root the broken arms? If so, how do I do this? Thanks everyone
first off, don't water any of the five plants for a couple of weeks - they need time to adjust to the new location as well as get over any stress that occurred from the move. yes, you can root the broken off pieces. first, check for any damaged spots - look for mushy areas - and if you find any, use a sharp knife to cut them off. let the pieces sit for a few days so the cuts/breaks can heal over a bit and then set them in cactus soil in a pot. before putting them in the soil, check again for mushy spots - cut off any and let sit for another couple of days before planting them. don't water yet!! let them sit in the soil, unwatered, for a couple of weeks and then do a thorough watering. let the soil dry completely (usually about 2 weeks, may be longer) and then water thoroughly. the main trunks of the plants that had pieces break off should actually recover and start to put out new growth, in time. just keep an eye for mushy spots - and cut off if/when they occur. they should all be in containers with good drainage and should be in cactus soil or in a cactus soil/sand/pebble mix.
