Less water is more. I noticed where you live, that is the problem and not you. Cactus come from dry locations. You may need to water only once a month, do not water unless the soil is really dry. Your pot, the size, the humidity and heat in the room, so many things will come into play. If I am to help, you will need a pencil and/or a chop stick made of wood. Put either one down into the pot, (clay), let sit five minutes and if it comes up damp do not water, if it comes up bone dry, then you water, but thoroughly. Most cactus can take temperature down into the high 20tys if dry. I hope this was enough to help you. Many cacti are able to go 2-3 mo. with out water at all, just keep this tip in mind before you water again. Norma

The flowers are fake and are glued on...
Forget about plant vitamins, any good balanced fertilizer applied at half or quarter strength will do fine...

All of the above information is correct but I would just like to add that if you really like the pink flowers you can leave them alone, just don't expect more to grow. If you become hooked on cacti you will eventually come to prefer the natural beauty of these plants and their real flowers - but all in good time. And one more thing, give your little friend plenty of sun light and fresh air. May you have a long and joyful relationship.

Jerry

There are many easy cacti with pink flowers. Most Mammillaria will produce rings of small pink flowers and are easy to grow inside. A few Notocactus produce larger pink flowers and are also good indoors. For really showy pink flowers, look at Echinocereus (not so good indoors) and Echinopsis.

If it is a fairy castle cactus (cereus tetragonus), don't let it get direct sunlight, either in summer or winter, only bright indirect light. Can you post a pic so we can see it? Very little water as mentioned above. Only when the pot feels completely light and dry. And wait till it starts to warm up in your area to repot it as spring is the best time. Get good cactus soil and a clay pot one size larger than it's in now. Less is more with cactus plants.

I was also just looking for information on my own little guy. It's also about 7" tall.

I blinked when I read the glued part, but alas, sure enough, my red flowers are glued on.
Well, I guess I shall never fear of trying to recreate flowers.

As I'm living in the land of rain, much like Seatle keeping it dry will be a challenge. My roommate has been keeping cactuses as well here, they seem to be doing alright.

I guess I'll wait until spring, repot, and perhaps we can trade notes?
Just how fast do these grow? I don't think I can accomadate a 6'-27' cactus tree . . . Though, truthfully, the notion tickles my imagination!
http://www.thegardenhelper.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/56/406.html

So - just how big has anyone's cactus tree grown?

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:482037}}

I don't find mine a fast grower, and it can always be reduced in size by removing a joint by joint. Water very little in the winter, but water weekly very thoroughly in the summer. I give mine very little fertillizer. The potting mix gives the plant enough food for a year. Mine grows year round out side but I live in a very hot climate during the summer months, and must use a shade cloth of 30% Cacti are new world plants, used to high temperatures in the summer or cold temperatures in the winter months. However many will only grow under bushes where they are comfortable with partial shade(Nurse plant). Because of the sun it will turn a nice pink color here. Don't let it freeze, the plant is a succulent and full of water, that is the reason it doesn't need much water in the winter months. Norma

They will grow very slowly in pots, somewhat faster in open ground or a large container. Don't panic about this one taking over your house. This particular cactus is sensitive to strong sun, more so than most, but that is partly why it does so well as a houseplant.

About indirect sunlight; what exactly does that mean?

indirect means put it anywhere except a south faceing window. if you can see the sun its self outside your window its a direct sunlight. I just bought 2 fairy castle cacti today. one with white flowers and one with red. i was very dismayed to find that they were glued on. I was wondering if that glues on flower tells you how that particular cactus flowers will look, if thhy flower at all. can anyone tell me if these flower, and if so how often. Also another tip. I have a tendency to over water like you do. So i stopped doing it completely. Now i just mist my succulents with a misting bottle once every 2 weeks [except my jade which is 3 times a week] and u can give 1 or 2 tablespoons of water in the bowl once a month or longer. its hard to starve a cactus from water.

Baised on this picture what Cactus plant is this?
What is this plant called?

I got this plant as a gift and I did not have a name tag or information tag.

I am looking forward to caring for this plant the right way.

In the picture the left picture is a top view and the right picture is a side/ front view.
The part on the table not in the pot is the part that broke off of the top of the cactus when the plant accidently fell.
Will the top part grow back?

Can I plant this broken off part to get another Cactus plant?

What soil is used to pot this Cactus plant?

How much water do I use? Cup, 1/2 Cup, 1/4 Cup, 1/8 Cup of water?

How often do I water this plant? Once a day, Once a week, once a month, once a year?

If Daily how many times a day do I water this? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6?

Does it belong in the window?
Does it belong in the shade?
Does it belong away from the window?
Does it belong in a dark room?
Does it belong in a room with light?

What is the seasonal care?

I will keep this inside my apartment in a pot.

How big should the pot be? small, Medium, Large?
Does the pot need holes on the bottom?

Should this plant be dry, Moist, Damp?

Are e flowers fake and glued on?
Are the flowers real and grow on the Top by sap?
Does this cactus produce sap on top?

A friend told me the flowers are real and grow out of the top and are held onto the top by sap since this kind of cactus produces sap.

What happens if the Top of the cactus comes off by accident? Does it grow another top part?

How tall is this plant supposed to be in Feet?

ginny,

A lot of your questions are answered already in this thread. Maybe you can refine your questions to those that haven't been answered after you've read what's already been written. The flowers are still fake.

don't let it get direct sunlight, either in summer or winter,

I would have to disagree, in part, with mes. An issue here is how very different mes' growing conditions will be compared to yours. Here in Michigan, our winter sun is very weak and rare. Direct winter sun may actually turn out to be desirable during the winter.

Herein lies the issue for you or anyone else getting advice on how to grow your plant. Many folks here will be very happy to tell you what works for THEM. Unfortunately, that same care might not work for YOU because of how different your growing conditions might be compared to theirs. For example, Mes444 is growing in zone 8 which is a far cry from zone 5/6. In zone 8, sun intensity does not vary over the course of seasons nearly as much as it does for us in the lower number zones.

This is not to say that their advice is worthless and should be ignored, but rather you must consider what their conditions are like compared to yours. The greater the similarity, the more likely what they do may work well for you. Even then, you may find that you need to tweak your cultural habits to better fit your conditions.

indirect means put it anywhere except a south faceing window.

This is not an accurate statement. Direct sun can be achieved in an east (morning sun) or west (afternoon sun) facing window as well.

I was wondering if that glues on flower tells you how that particular cactus flowers will look,

Nope. The look and color of the strawflower has absolutely ZERO to do with what the real flowers will look like. They are simply chosen (in some cases like the green ones -- dyed) in a diverse array of colors to to help sell the plants.

For many of the other questions brought up here, I would recommend using the search function for this forum using terms like "soil", "soil type", "watering", "potting" and such. It will require some research, but there are numerous forum posts on these topics.

Happy growing!

My husband bought me one of these at the drug store last week. It became apparent when I unwrapped it that the "flowers" had been applied with a generous blob of hot glue (poor li'l guy! But we had a good laugh) so I carefully pried them off without damaging the cactus. If your flowers are glued on, the gluer was certainly less generous than mine!

I repotted mine today in a 4" glazed terracotta pot with Miracle-Gro cactus soil (the only cactus mix at my local hardware store) and so far it seems to be doing fine. I have watered it once, thoroughly, as it was bone dry when it came home. I have mine about 18" under a grow light in my kitchen, is this too much light, do y'all think?

Here the little guy is, sans fake flowers, in his new 4" pot.

Something another user said to me regarding another succulent I'd asked a question about: how often to water your houseplants will vary with the relative humidity of your house, the type of soil they're potted in, and how much heat they're exposed to. There are a lot of factors that can make your plant dry out faster or stay moist longer. This user made a good point: being on a strict watering schedule can do more harm than good. It's best just to keep an eye on things and water as needed. For a cactus, that means you'd want to let it get just about totally dry before watering again, but water deeply when you do, and don't let water sit in the saucer. You can stick a Popsicle stick or chopstick into the soil, leave it in there a few minutes, and then pull it out to test the soil moisture. If the stick is at all damp, it's not time to water yet.

Also, be sure to use a potting mix designed for cacti and succulents, which will retain less water and drain faster. I hope this helps!

Hi again! So, that fairy castle cactus I posted a pic of last spring (directly above)...he's been doing great--real great...maybe too great. Here is a pic of the cactus now:

Help! He's almost reached the grow light! How can I keep him from growing all leggy and stretchy like this? If he gets much taller, he won't fit on the shelf. I have read articles about removing the side growths from a cactus for propagation, but is it possible to prune the main barrel(s)? I can't move the light, I actually had to slightly modify my kitchen cabinets to get it to fit where it is ( above the sink). At this rate, I'll never be able to pot up the poor li'l guy.

Slice the abnormal growth (the skinny stuff) off and stop watering your plant so often (maybe 2x a month now). You can take small cuttings now and prop them on their own, but it's better to do so in the spring.

Ahhh, too much love with the watering can. OK, should I slice straight across or taper the cut to a blunt point or what? Do I need to apply anything to the wound?

Also I think your cactus would appreciate more light... See how thin and weak the new growth us, as the plant maximizes its vertical growth in order to reach more light?

You're right, he's getting leggy reaching for the only light source. I added another lamp for some side lighting and a mirror for bounce fill:

Here he is (with friends) and more light. Poor guy got a little scorched when I had the lamp too close at first.

I know this is a very old post but I love those pots!

Awww thanks! I wish I'd bought more when they were available. Still got the fairy castle cactus too, in a much bigger pot. I'm using strong side lighting now so it has really filled out! Love those LED plant lights from IKEA, they throw so much more light than that old fluorescent.

My aunt bought one because she loved the flowers... Cut to 4 hours laters there was one angry aunt and I have a new cactus. I just put mine under an LED a few days ago, I'm eager to see how it reacts. I like the shape of yours.

Here is the current setup. I got a few more cacti and succulents for a mini-garden, I like that trend. The Mammaria cacti have those same glued-on flowers, I have since pried them off. Now they can hopfully make their own flowers!

Make sure your LED is specifically designed for plants. (You probably know this already.) Cacti can never get enough light when grown indoors! Good luck with your fairy castle!

Looks nice. We have a wide variety of grow lights in the house . It seems to be liking the bulb it's under now but only time will tell, my jade wasn't a fan but eh what can you do lol

Meet Elmo, Elmo is a 5 yr old Fairy Castle cactus. My daughter gave my mom a start “a baby” and now look at it!! I have never saw one this big before,has anyone else? It has been grown in doors,in my dads greenhouse. Picture was Taken October 2018

Hi HU 8180...,

While your Elmo is enormous, I don't think it'a a Fairy Castle Cactus as above, doesn't have its same angled white edges. Also they don't show leaves up top as yours does. I believe you've got some kind of Euphorbia, likely a trigona. Still very nice!

Elmo is a big guy because he is not a Fairy Castle cactus (Acanthocereus tetragona), not even a cactus at all. He is a Euphorbia trigona. He is still a beautiful, well grown specimen, only not a fairy castle. More of a giant’s castle ;-).

Elmo is huge!!

Hi everyone!

After over a year of searching, I FINALLY have a Fairy Castle of my own!! My best friend's family had one, and I fell in love with it, but didn't know what it was called, and couldn't find information on it anywhere. Then by chance, mom found one at CVS and got it for me for my birthday that I just had, and now I finally have one, and finally know what they're called.

I just took it out of the paper. I feel bad that the poor thing's got flowers glued to it, but I read that they will fall off.

The thing is, I have NO solid advice on how to care for it!! One article said don't plant it in a pot that's large, while this one says I should. One says water it only once every month or two, another says water it a few times a week. One says keep it far from the sun during the winter and summer months, while others say in the winter it needs extra sun. (I live in the Northeast, us) And there's no solid advice on what's the best sort of soil to give it.

Does anyone know what the actual proper care is for one of these? I'm pretty confused, lol.

Have you read the advice above? It lays it all out. The flowers should be pulled off. Let me know if you have further questions, but I can see one post at least (Paul's) is pretty comprehensive.

Yes, I read the entire thread, except all of it totally contradicts the advice I read in other articles and other forums. That's why I'm now completely confused. Lol.

The more people that can vouch for the information on here being correct/incorrect, the better I'll feel.

I’m no expert but I’ve had a FCC for 4 years and it’s healthy. Here’s my 2 cents.

Pot up upon purchase, these cacti are sold in ridiculously tiny containers. Always use just a slightly larger pot, the next size up ie. 2” to 4”, 4” to 6”, etc. Use potting mix specifically designed for cacti. In the desert, when it rains it POURS but the water drains away quickly and you want to duplicate this. Cactus potting mix helps the water drain away quickly. If you use the correct soil, the watering schedule isn’t a huge issue. Water infrequently (every other week?) but thoroughly.

Give it PLENTY of light. Due to lack of windows in my dark cave of an apartment, I grow under artificial light, I have one above and one to the side. I use LED grow lights because they do not get hot and I can place them close to the cactus without burning it. (Which I did with a hot incandescent grow light years ago. Poor guy.) Strong side lighting encourages more arms to bud off the sides and prevents legginess, makes a nice fat cactus. If it’s not getting enough light, it will let you know by producing stretchy, skinny growth as it reaches for more light. Mine has about doubled in size in 4 years, I doubt it will ever get really huge.

Apparently no one knows what species a fairy castle cactus is, so it’s hard to find care sheets. From experience I can tell you the more light mine has had, the better it has thrived. I don’t fertilize often at all, maybe 4-6 times per year. Oh, and I gently pried off the fake flowers. I was afraid they’d interfere with the cactus’s growth. Don’t know if the decorations hurt the cactus, but they certainly can’t help it.

Hope this helps! Good luck to you!

Thank you both very much for all of your thorough and helpful information.

I'm starting to feel a lot better the more I learn.

The more I research, the more I'm figuring out that caring for these can be tricky, (but rewarding) and what you're saying makes the most sense of information I've found so far.

I found this nice article on cactus soil, (hopefully the link works): https://getbusygardening.com/diy-succulent-potting-soil/

I bought some miracle growth soil made for succulents, but I think I might add sand and perlite because the soil to me still feels a little too dense - like it might retain too much water for too long.

What soil brand and/or mixture do you all like to use? And do you prefer mixing your own?

The contradictory information I was finding was from various places on the web on various cactus topics. For example, on the topic of planting, one article I read advised not to plant my cactus in a large pot, while another suggested I plant it in a large pot. Neither of the two explained why, or what even is considered a "large" pot for a cactus. Then I found out from a separate source entirely that neither too small or too large a pot is good. Too small of a pot wont leave room for growth, while too large of a pot might retain too much water for too long. I've come to the conclusion that so long as my soil has enough sand so that water can drain easily, a larger pot should be okay.

I tend to disagree with some of the advice in that link: sand for play boxes is usually too fine, it is specifically good packing sand to make sand castles and sand cookies and similar...if it was coarse, it would not stick together. So that info is, IMO, incorrect. You need to find what is referred to as Horticultural sand - much grittier, with bigger particles. Most of us do not use sand at all (very few ppl do, and they have lots of knowledge and experience with growing succulents).

You would be much better off reading info on this forum: ppl giving advice grow (and many, like Jeff above), have been growing succulents for years. Our goal is to keep plants healthy, and #1 is usually drainage problem: mix needs to drain fast/well, and soil with fine sand will not provide drainage.

Perlite is available to most. It is good idea to sift or rinse it, to get rid of dust. Pumice is anorher excellent substrate, not always readily available. Chicken grit/small granite gravel, is another ingredient excellent to use. There are many more inorganc ingredients that could be used. MG bagged potting soil is considered not good enough and many will not use it (including me).

You could make much better draining mix by using just sifted perlite and Cactus&Succulent soil in 1:1 ratio. If you already have MG soil and want to use it, I would suggest to add even more perlite (60-80%). If you have pumice, use it instead of perlite. Or mix it with perlite, and use much less soil. Adding grit helps a lot.

Grains of different ingredients should be approx. of same size: 4-6mm is good. It could be tad smaller, but, IMO, 2mm or less is too fine. Over 6mm gets to be too large.

Many succulets do not need very large pots. Try to find out where some grow naturally: most in very 'rocky' areas, with literally no soil (or very little), and many on and in-between the rocks: tight spaces. So size of the pot is not always a problem. Bigger is not neccessarily better :) Repoting is usually not needed every year, and if repotting, it is better to go up just a bit - if plant needs it. Succulents could be grown in large pots - but drainage is even more important. Lots of water retaining soil that will fill up large pot will take very long time to dry up and cause lots of damage. If you provide good drainage (and have space for it), you can grow tiny plant in a wine barrel....

There is ton of info here, from good and experienced growers. Not like on some blogs, that offer incorrect info (at least partially) - often not based on experience, but incorrect info passed down.

ETA:

I just re-read blog you posted link to: here is contradicting info offered within 2 or 3 paragraphs:

..."The type of sand I buy is just the stuff they sell for use in a sandbox (I buy it at either Home Depot or Lowes)"...

..."Just don’t use sand from the garden, the beach, or a sandbox (you never know what nasties will be in that sand)"...

Do not use play sand - either from the bag or a sandbox...

Anything will work for short period of time. But if you want to grow succulents for a long time, keep them healthy - try to provide good drainage and good light.

Personally I just use whatever cactus/succulent soil mix is available at my local hardware store, with no amendments. I have used Black Gold and Miracle-Gro brands with no noticeable difference. I have seen cactus mixes that are largely comprised of chunks of pumice but I have not used these, therefore can’t speak on them. Again, I’m not an expert, just what has worked for me. It looks like many here with more experience than me recommend adding additional Perlite, so you should probably follow their advice.

With the right soil, watering errors are more easily forgiven. Just try to err on the side of dryness, most importantly, don’t let water sit in the saucer. I actually like to set my plants in the sink/tub to water them, and put them back in their saucers once they’ve drained. It avoids getting the saucer wet and ruining your furniture, and your plants can get a nice rinse-off in the process, to remove house dust.

cactusmcharris is spot on about gradually introducing more light—I neglected to mention that. If a plant has lived in poor light for a while, it can get sunburned just like us. Bring more light gradually, as that user said, but ultimately more is more.

Wow, thank you all for this great information.

I have a new pot for my cactus. It will probably add about an inch of extra space in diameter, and probably about two and a half inches of room under its roots. I'm wondering if this is a good size. The current pot that it came in is plastic and the cactus itself seems to be growing slightly fatter than it's diameter in spots. Plus being plastic, I want to get it into a terracotta pot that lets water out better.

When replanting a cactus, do you loosen some of the old dirt around the root ball, so that the roots can work their way through the new soil? Or do you just plant it in new soil just the way it is?

I assumed what the author of that article meant by not using sand in a sand box, but store bought sand box sand is okay; meaning that the sand is sterile in the store, but that used sandbox sand that's been sitting outside used by kids is no longer sterile.

I never thought about the size of the sand granules themselves, but what one of you said about larger sand vs tiny sandbox sand makes sense.

Either way, I'm glad I don't need to go out and purchase sand. I'll just use what I have, mixing 60 to 80% perlite with the cactus miracle growth that was suggested here.

It's a bit annoying that there's so much misguided information out there, which is exactly why I'm happy I happened upon this thread.

Switching gears a bit; I'm a little worried today. I've only had my fairy castle for four days, and I just noticed the tops of the stems are looking somewhat brown, while the bottom looks green.

It's more noticable in the photos than it is in person - I had to turn it around in the light to make sure I wasn't imagining it.

Do any of you know what it could mean?

Is it possible that I gave it a little sun burn like two of you suggested could happen?

Certainly while it was in the store, it wasn't getting much sun at all, but my window is usually only bright and sunny for half the day, which seems like not enough sun for a cactus, if anything.

Or is this a symptom of root rot already? I haven't watered it yet, and I have no idea how much water it got in the drug store from where it came from, if any. I read on a reddit post that sometimes root rot will make a cactus turn brown at the tips because the whole inside is rotten, and at that point there's almost no saving it. I really hope it isn't that - I've already grown very attached to mine

I found another article about troubleshooting strange succulent behavior, but I'm still not satisfied with an answer: http://pistilsnursery.com/how-to-care-for-succulents-and-cacti/

Like I said, I've only had it for four days so far, so I'm not sure how it was being cared for in the store it came from. If any of you might know what this means, I'd feel a lot better.

The bottom right picture I used my camera flash.

Thank you both for answering me and providing me with information.

Pot you describe sounds OK for size. When you repot, keep checking with a wood/bamboo stick deep inside of pot for wetness of the mix. What you are using for pottig mix sounds good too.

It is widely recommended to remove all soil from the roos when repotting store-bougth plant. They are usually grown in peat or coco-peat, which works ok under growers - usually greenhouse and automatic watering - conditions. It is more difficult to keep it just righ for typical home grower. If too wet, it could be a plant killer encouraging rot. If too dry, it becomes hydrophobic, and very difficult to re-wet. In this state, it actually repells water, so plant could be suffering from dehydration regardless of regular watering. Depending what were previous conditions, it could be mush-muck, or very hard encasement for the roots. When repotting, shake off all soil you can; use a skewer/chopstik or oher implement to loosen up leftover. Hopefully, it will all crumble off. If not (hydrophobic peat), fill a bowl with tepid water and swish root ball in it, trying to wash it off. Let air dry on something absorbent, out of direct sun. Few hours or a day or two should be plenty (depending on how wet it was). Pot into new pot and mix; let 'recuperate' from transplanting for few days in bright spot, but not full sun. Slowly start moving it into more and more sunshine. It is possible that it got too much of it suddenly - that would cause browning.

Rotting as you describe could happen, but it would take some time, not few days. Obviously, it is difficult to know how wet or dry and for how long it was kept before. When you take it out of pot, you'll be able to tell by condition of roots. Another sign of rotting would be general softness of the arms/stems/trunks. Yellowish color often signals too much water - plant being water-logged.

IMO, plastic pots work very well. Terracotta and other materials are very good (if they provide good drainage) and look much better usually, but plastic is much lighter :) - may not be that important to you. I have some terracotta, but most plastic pots. They are easier to carry and shuffle around, and do not break as easily if I knock them over, lol.

I didn't read what you linked to yet, but dislike when ppl are promoting scculent terrariums!!! That is, of course, JMO...

Sunburn, dehydration, and root rot can all look very similar—fortunately, if you’re about to repot you will be able to inspect the roots! Root rot is exactly what the packet says, so if you have it, the soil and root ball will be wet, mushy, and smell like rotting vegetation. As a general rule, CVS employees are not good about watering plants, so my guess is you’ll find dry roots and a dehydrated plant.

I’d say go ahead and repot using rina_Ontario’s instructions. Inspect the roots when you do so, give them a sniff, but I’m guessing you’ll find a dehydrated cactus. Repot using that well-draining soil we’ve all been discussing, and water thoroughly. Unless you do find root rot, in which case, repot and do not water. The dry soil would then absorb some of the excess water from the root ball.

You could move the cactus a few inches back away from the window, too, if you suspect sunburn. Then gradually move it closer to the glass as the plant learns to do photosynthesis again. :)

Wow, thank you SO much!!

A wood or bamboo stick for checking moisture sounds like a great idea.

Then I won't have to worry so much about potential dreaded root rot.

And that's wonderful advice about replanting it out of store bought soil. I really wanted to make sure I do it correctly.

I actually just repotted my aloe plant for the first time last week (I got it around Christmas time; a last lonely Aloe plant from Aldi) I had no idea when to repot it, so I just waited for it to grow a little. It's been looking a bit shriveled recently, even after a thorough watering, and when I took it out, all of it's original soil from the store was completely caked onto its roots in a hard clump. This just didn't seem right to me, but luckily I had enough sense to soak it in a cup of water to help me work it loose most of the way. I wasn't sure if this was even the right thing to do, but now I'm really glad I did. The only thing I didn't do was let it dry out of the pot for a day or two - I planted it wet still. Maybe I should take it back out and let it dry for a day or two, the way you explained.

With the information you've all given me, now I'm feeling confident I did (almost) the right thing, and now I feel very confident that I'll definitely do right by repotting my fairy castle too. I'm horrible at keeping regular house plants plants alive, and I've always wanted a fairy castle, so I'm trying to learn all I can lol.

I'm relieved that you both think my cactus has a little sun burn - much more fixable than total root rot. I kept it out of the sun most of the day today and just let it have some indirect light nearby, but not directly next to, an eastern window with soft light, for a few hours before dark. Already the brown seems to be going away! So I'll do what you said and gradually give it more sun until I figure out exactly how much it likes.

I actually went back to CVS to look at the other fairy castles there. Some of them actually had a similar sort of browning, but they looked different than mine, with brown patches around all of their spike clusters. And the rest of the cactu looked nice and green.

I never dreamed that I would be needing this much information for a cactus, but I came to the right place. I'm relieved and I feel like I now have a decent amount of information to keep my guy alive and happy.

If you porred it wet, there is likely no need to water for a while. As long as roots are healhy it should be ok.

Many succulents react to sunlight by darker colors - some get bit brownish, others purplish or reddish. There is nothing wrong with them getting some coloring - most of us like it - but shouldn't be sunburn. Yhis is different cactus than yours, it is getting reddish tips from good light:

Different succulent - color change is due to light: