I hope someone on the forum might be able to offer some advice in saving a small indoor cactus. About two months ago, the cactus fell over because it had become rotten at the base. After looking on the internet for advice on reviving it, I cut off the rotten part of the base and stabilised it in a mixture of sand and potting soil. The cactus seemed to be doing quite well until two days ago when it fell over again. I noticed only limited evidence of roots--only 2mm long at best. The stem is now translucent (see attached picture) and soft. The prickly top is still green and hard to the touch. Water has begun dripping from the bottom of the base of the stem. Do you think the cactus can be saved, and if so what would be the best course of action to save/regrown it?
The lower part is surely dead. I can't tell what is going on from the photos, but it almost looks like you have it in a jar of water, which would kill a cactus after a short time. You might be able to root the top part that was grafted onto the (now) translucent part. To do this you would remove all the rotten part, allow the cut to dry and callus over for a few days and then put the cut into moist cactus medium. Personally, I would toss it, buy something new and start over.
Agree with Eric it should never be in water! The bottom is dead. Best bet is to cut off the base, use a mixture of cactus soil and perilite...set, do not bury! The remaining portion you're trying to save on top to allow the fresh wound to dry and scar over, as youve read before.
