we really screwed up and missed watering our cactus and it's dried and wilted... but the base looks good still... we have had this cactus for over 15 years, i found it as a kid..... this thing is really big and (this may sound stupid) but is apart of the family (been around that long)... like i said really dropped the ball on this one and we are really heart broken over it.. i hope that someone with alil bit of know how can point us in the right direction.. sorry if this is in the wrong section... http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z111/killa_sin/IMG00049.jpg http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z111/killa_sin/IMG00048.jpg http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z111/killa_sin/IMG00047.jpg http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z111/killa_sin/IMG00046.jpg http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z111/killa_sin/IMG00045.jpg http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z111/killa_sin/IMG00044.jpg http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z111/killa_sin/IMG00043.jpg
Hey, Crustified---you are in the right place! 2 reasons: 1. If there is help to be had for your cactus, our knowledgeable members will let you know what and how. Get us the photo ASAP so that your plant can be IDed, its problem(s) can be diagnosed, and first aid can begin. 2. We understand, and sympathize. We are people to whom plants are important (essential!) and we know how you feel. Don't worry about posting in the wrong place: if need be, our intrepid moderator will move it to the correct one. Welcome to the Forum!
thanks for the warm welcome. :) i edited the OP with the links to the photos, i hope they are enough, if not i can supply more. :) and thanks alot for the help. :)
Hmm! I suspect Euphorbia, possibly E. lactea 'Cristata', aka Elkhorn. From what I'm reading, seems that these plants require periods of drought, and like to be watered slowly and thoroughly, then allowed to dry out. Sounds hopeful! Give us some detail as to where your plant has been living--- soil, repotting, and what amount and frequency of watering. Run through The Usual Suspects: Light; Temperature; Moisture; Bugs. Any recent changes in any of these areas? Have you moved it into/out of light, cold or warm air? Checked it over for scale or other unwanted visitors? Good to be sure that there are no other 'issues' happening. Also, tell us the story of where and how you found your plant. Clearly, you must have been doing something right with it for all these years!
think it could be the elkhorn, i googled it and found this photo... kinda looks like it. http://www.plantoftheweek.org/image/acanthocereust.jpg but the site calls it a "Acanthocereus tetragonus 'Fairy Castles' - Fairy Castle Cactus"
i sure hope so, my moms already been crying... :) well, it was in front of a small hotel in Maryland. when i spotted it, i thought it was the coolest thing i have ever seen. the roots grew through the bottom of the pot and in to the ground, pretty crazy... it was just a little guy then... we moved around alot over the years, but for the past 9yrs, we have been in the same area in WV.. it sits in the living room for the most part, we try to take it out during the summer. but it's very heavy with the soil and all (about 50 pounds, just a good guess, i recall mom saying it took about 50 pounds of potting soil to fill the pot) mom usually does the re potting, but with the weight and all the stickers on it, it's kinda hard for her, so it's been a year or two... also the pot is kinda cracked at the top which makes it hard to move it around, we could use a hand dolly.. lol not sure on the watering, i would say about every week, but like i said we dropped the ball this time.. she usually does a round trip with all the plants in the house... she watered it alil bit, when we noticed it a few hours ago... not sure how much, i will have to ask her tomorrow after work.. (2:30 AM here) :D the lighting, we usually have the curtains closed, so it doesn't get much... this is probably a really bad thing ... :( but it seemed to be doing fine, till we missed watering it for (i would say) about three weeks, maby a little more... :( the temperature, we usually have the ac on, about 70 sometimes more... sometimes the temp does go up and down in the house, sometimes we don't have the ac on at all and it's about 80 or 90 in the house.. this is probably not to good either.. as for bugs... spiders, them pesky stink bugs and some flies (from time to time).. the only thing i see on it is some spider webs, the stink bugs go for the light or the front door a lot, don't see any flies around it either.. we do have lil gnats sometimes, had them for years.. can't seem to get rid of em.. we have another cactus next to it and it's fine, almost up to the ceiling.. we havn't had that one for as long as we have had the other one, but i would say two or three years.. ill add some more pics: http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z111/killa_sin/IMG00052.jpg http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z111/killa_sin/IMG00051.jpg http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z111/killa_sin/IMG00050.jpg
Three weeks is too short time to damage a cactus of that size by not watering it, if it had been three years it would have been a different matter. I don't know exactly what has caused this, the green areas between the discoloured parts confuse me. As I understand it it happened very fast, which indicates a disease. It is (was?) a true cactus, a monstrose Cereus, probably the "peruvianus" type. Health: extremely bad. As said, I am sure that something else than drought that has caused it to shrivel, something that has to do with the roots. If this plant had been given to me I would: 1 Isolate it from other plants. 2. Cut off a piece of a stem (where the skin has darkened) and looked at the cut area to make sure that it has not been attacked by a fungus. If it is discoloured (red-brown-black) or even full of white mass of thin threads (fungal mycelium), the remains must be thrown out and preferably burned. If it is a fungal disorder that has spread that far the plant will not have a chance. 3. If it is green inside it might have a small chance. Extreme, fast shrivelling can be caused by a heavy infestation of root mealy bugs, but the colour usually change that much. Still, i would check for that (and other root problems). 4. If the roots look ok I would leave it for a while with damp compost and see how things develop over the next week or so, and take a cutting for rooting.
thanks alot for all the info and advise. :) i cut a small piece off the base, it was discolored, so i think i did it right. doesn't seem to be stringy on the inside, the flesh does kinda have a brown tint to it though... at the base of the cactus, where i cut, it seems to be a light green... then i cut off a dead limb and cut a section open with a razor knife and it wasn't stringy. in spots that was light green inside, but the base of that limb on the inside was a off white or light beige color (i took some pictures of it)... that part was dead (the outer skin turned black in alot of spots)... http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z111/killa_sin/IMG00073.jpg http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z111/killa_sin/IMG00070.jpg http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z111/killa_sin/IMG00066.jpg http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z111/killa_sin/IMG00065.jpg http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z111/killa_sin/IMG00061.jpg http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z111/killa_sin/IMG00060.jpg http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z111/killa_sin/IMG00058.jpg http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z111/killa_sin/IMG00059.jpg im gona take a close look at the roots tonight, when ppl are here to help me out... what should i look for? what compost should i get? sorry, im not that great with plants, moms the green thumb of the house. i think your right on the name of it, i googled and found this... http://www.tucson-gardener.com/graphics/Galleries/Friends/Kathi/Cereus peruvianus monstrose.jpg
You are holding the camera too close to the object, so they are a bit out of focus, but that dead branch looks ... dead. The pieces from the base are more difficult to interpret, at least it looks to be alive close to the skin. Cut away the dead parts until the tissue is green. If you cut through discoloured flesh, sterilize the knife before the next cut. Roots: root mealies are small (1-2 mm) long, barely moving, cotton-like animals on the roots and often on the inside of the pot. I don't think you will find many (if any at all), but it is best to take a look. Dead (from disease) roots are soft and dark. Such roots should be removed, healthy roots are stiffer and are white on the inside. Compost: something with good drainage. Personally I don't use peat (as your soil is based on), but it is possible to use it if it is mixed with grit, calcined clay, coir, or something else that opens up the compost. It is possible that a smaller pot is needed, it depends on how much of the root ball that is alive. Do not water for about two weeks after repotting (increased risk for infection of damaged roots). Actually it should not be necessary to put it back in the pot yet, it can be laid on a newspaper or something for a while until you see how things go. I am still worried about the speed with which this spread, it took place over just a few weeks, or did I misunderstand?
yes, it was over a few week, about three. the last time i watered it, it looked fine (but im no expert). it wasn't falling over or turning black... i found something, when i was cutting dead parts away and it's close to the base. i took a picture, i hope it's better then the others. i only have a blackberry 8110 to take pic's with, not the best.. :( i notices a part with some black tint to the flesh, with some black dots in the tint... http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z111/killa_sin/IMG00080.jpg http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z111/killa_sin/IMG00079.jpg god, i hope it's not rot.. but it's so close to the base... :(
Uh-oh, it's not supposed to look like that. Could be a sign of a bigger problem further in. But yes, the picture was better.
What I fear is that something could have infected the plant more than just a few weeks ago, spread throughout the whole plant, but the symptoms where delayed until now (or small enough to go unnoticed). The epidermis looks awful on the whole plant, and where the epidermis is such poor condition, the interior is usually not much better (but not always). Do not expect too much ...
yea, the more i cut the worse it gets... i took another small piece off the very bottom of the base and i seen some more black tint... it seems to be almost all the way around the base... i cut off another limb that was dead and there is heavy, dark black spots. i cut it off right at a big section attached to the base... well i guess, it's gone.... i still remember the day i found it and how small and cool it was.. i keep telling myself it's just a plant, but that's not helping much... ;( i have another question, where could i buy one of these? anyone know a good place to buy one from... i really like this type of cactus and it would be great to find a good replacement, if i can.. thank you so much, for all the help.
I googled 'cereus peruvianus monstrose for sale': found that on eBay there is a 10" Cereus Peruvianus Monstrose Blue/Green Color (item #250709451943)---Buy It Now price $12.00. (Six bucks shipping.) Ten available. There are other vendors, too. I am real sorry to read all of the above. Does no good to say 'these things happen', even though they do. It had fifteen good years with you, and that's something to remember with happiness. Best of luck with your new plant!
It (and very similar monstrose cereoids) is often offered for sale in flower shops, garden centres etc. I think it was some kind of fungal disorder that killed it, bacterial rot turns the interior into a foul smelling mush. It may have entered either through the roots or the skin, it is difficult to say at this stage. Could even have been the late watering, cacti often stop growing at this time of the year (depending on light, temperature etc.) and then the water can remain for too long in the pot, promoting diseases. Anyway, do not compost the remains (and do not reuse the soil), dispose it somewhere where it cannot spread the disease to other plants.
