Hi everyone, I'm looking for advice on what to do about a damaged pachycladus (I think...). There is both significant splitting at the base and blackening of the tip. For the top I am assuming I'm going to have to cut the blackened parts out... but I'm not sure what to do about the bottom. Is there anything I can do to prevent the crack from lengthening?? Or is this the beginning of the end for my beloved blue cactus? Here are pics: Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet Thank you!!
Yes, the blackened parts should be removed. While I have seen cracks like that on other cacti (and they usually survive), it has always been globular species where a crack does not affect their stability. I am not sure about what effect the crack will have on the ability of a columnar cactus to support itself. I would leave it for a while, perhaps with something with some kind of support, just in case the crack becomes larger. I cannot say how to prevent it from splitting further since I don't know what caused it. Sometimes cacti split after receiving too much water, but I have seen them appear on completely dry plants as well.
