Cactus help

Discussion in 'Indoor and Greenhouse Plants' started by Twostickbugs, Sep 13, 2013.

  1. Twostickbugs

    Twostickbugs New Member

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    I got a cactus over 15 years ago from my grandfather. I am transplanting it now for the second time. It is almost 2 feet tall, and I have no idea what the variety/species it is. I am concerned about the yellowing at the trunk and wondering if that is normal?
     

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  2. mandarin

    mandarin Active Member 10 Years

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    Is is some kind of Echinopsis, cannot tell which one. There are plenty of hybrids involving this genus which makes identification even more difficult. Most of them flower relatively easily, do you know what the flowers look like?

    The yellowing is corking, that is normal.
     
  3. Twostickbugs

    Twostickbugs New Member

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    It has never flowered. Is that because of lack of fertilizer or the room temp, or maybe both reasons? It produced many "babies" this summer after we moved to a house with a very warm sun porch. It has only produced 2, at the most, in the past. But no flowers yet. I bought some fertilizer along with the new dirt. I read not to try planting it deeper. Is that true?
     
  4. mandarin

    mandarin Active Member 10 Years

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    Could be both. Cacti need nutrients, water and sunlight in summer in order to flower. Lower night temperatures and a cool winter rest is often beneficial too.

    It depends on the roots. Some cacti (like the Lobivia group) have deep, thick roots that push the plant upwards if the pot is not deep enough. It can be difficult to find pots that are deep enough for them. Others have thinner roots (and I think most of my Echinopsis have had that) that do well in shallow pots. I try not to leave more than a few cm of soil beneath the root ball when I repot my plants.

    Cacti don't like anoxic soils, so a pots much bigger than the roots and filled with compact, poorly draining organic growing medium is unhealthy for them.
     
  5. Twostickbugs

    Twostickbugs New Member

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    So it sounds like I shouldn't plant it in a large pot. What about providing support for it since it has started leaning over?
     
  6. mandarin

    mandarin Active Member 10 Years

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    Planting cacti in too large pots is a common mistake. A pot a few cm wider/deeper than the previous is generally enough. Fortunately, Echinopsis are relatively fast-growing and tolerant of large pots and soil mixes with high organic content, I see no immediate need for repotting your plant.

    Yes, you can support it with something. It is not supposed to be that tall and thin, if it had grown in stronger light and with cooler nights it would have been more compact and not leaned like that. This is another common problem with cacti ...
     
  7. Twostickbugs

    Twostickbugs New Member

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    That is all very interesting. I will have to try planting one of the 'babies' in a shallower pot and see what it does. This is the first home I've lived in that lends itself to good lighting (in convenient locations) for house plants. Way back the last time I potted it I used soil for cacti. I've just never fertilized it. In my picture did you see there is another cactus about 1/3 the size adjacent to the larger one? What are your thoughts on how close they are together? I imagine it may be difficult to separate them at this point...but is it ok for the health of them to leave them as they are? I suppose, as you suggest I can simply leave them and just give the appropriate fertilizer ?
     
  8. mandarin

    mandarin Active Member 10 Years

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    As long as there is enough soil for both plants they can grow in the same pot. I avoid doing that myself, except for small seedlings and some epiphytic cacti, because they usually grow better if they have all the space for themselves. Sometimes the smaller plant gives up and dies anyway.
    Separating them can be difficult because peat-based soils stick to the roots, making it nearly impossible to disentangle the roots without breaking them. (I, like many cactus collectors, use a growing medium that is much easier to detach from roots).
     
  9. JasonHerbalExt

    JasonHerbalExt New Member

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    I guess the yellowing is because of lack of sunlight.
     

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