Cactus help!

Hi

I've had this cactus around 7 years or so but just lately he's started to bend over.

Can anyone tell me a way to rectify this or is he on his way out?

http://www.metalmafia.co.uk/elite/bentnozzer2.jpg

Thanks

 

vordhosbn,

Pic is a little fuzzy but I'll guess by the looks of the blackness of the soil that your mix may be a little rich in peat to drain well. If your mix does not have enough grit to drain well it can rot a cacti root very easily. Since the tops look healthy you should maybe unpot the plant and if it has rotted roots, remove the rot and repot in a well-draining mix. If the stems are starting to rot cut them above the rot, allow them to callus and pot them up in a easy draining mix. Do not water until new growth shows in either event.

The tops look pretty good so the plant should be salvageable. Hope this helps.

If you could get a sharper pic with a little more light we can maybe fine-tune the diagnosis! :o)

Bill

 

In addition to what Bill said, it would appear by the stains on your drip tray that you may be watering a little too much...either that or the mix is too fine and is leaching out with the water.

The other matter of why your cactus is starting to grow and appear to fall out of its container may be nothing more than the particular species of cactus you have. I'm not an expert in cacti, specifically, but many cactus species naturally grow this way...I'm just not sure if yours is one of them.

Do take Bill's advice and see if you can get a mix with more coarse grit in it.

 

It looks like a Mammillaria. That might just be the way it wants to grow. Perhaps you could repot your cactus. If you repot it into a slightly wider pot you can reorient so that it sits the way you want it to.

M.

 

thanks, I'll have a go at repotting him.

 

Here's what he looks like now, still droopy but I think he likes it that way. What do you think Cactus fans ?

http://www.metalmafia.co.uk/elite/nozzer2.jpg

 

I love it! It sure does seem healthy. For a finishing touch, find some natural looking aquarium sand or pebbles and use that as a "top dressing" on the soil. It adds a fantastic "finished look" to the pot. You and everyone you show will love it, I promise.

Michael

 

Cheers Micheal. I don't suppose you know what kind of Cactus he is?

 

My only guess is that it is a Mammillaria of some kind... the problem is that there are thousands of kinds.