Pieter is correct! You need to get that poor thing into some sun, but gradually. The Bottom (older pad) appears to be dead and dried out and it appears to have been receiving a real Lack of sunlight. That is the reason the new growth is so long and pale. What you could do is as Pieter said, Cut a piece off and let it sit for about two weeks to form a callous over the cut end. It may, during that time even start sprouting roots from the side that is faced down. That's fine. If it does, then just lay it on some soil (in a clay pot), in a very bright spot outside. Direct Sunlight WILL Burn it... so under a tree would be ideal. Once it takes, it should send out a new pad. Slowly start moving it into more and more direct sun. In Pots, I water my cactus when they're growing, whenever the soil feels dry... But I'm in Tampa so it gets pretty hot here. But if the soil feels dry, water it a bit and it should be happy and should really recover nicely. DON'T Let it get Soggy! Once you have some nice new growth, I'd cover the soil over the old lanky growth so the only part showing is the new, healthy growth! Since you don't know exactly what type of cactus it is yet, I'd bring it in during the first winter, then move it back out after the last frost(usually after Mothers day) next spring. If you happen to get more than one piece to take off and look good, You Could try leaving one outside over winter. A lot of cactus can actually take the Cold of winter... It's the Water that kills them! SO, if you create a cactus bed, it may make it. If you decide you want to try a cactus bed, let me know and I can provide you with some links. Or, you can do a search for "Cold Hardy Cactus" and probably find plenty of sites ;-)

Hi there, I think Barrel cactus is a surviver. The grow in deserts, what it can't stand is too much water. If you are ever in need of water, just scoop out a barrel cactus and see what it has inside. So it can go along time with out rain. I looked up the zone in the Sunset Western Garden Book ISBN 0-376-03851-9 It said the some can take temps. down to Z. 2-3 but it will depend on species. It must be established to take extreme temperatures. The species if Echinocereus (Hedgehog Cactus ) Unless they changed the name. I just don't know how much cold yours can tolerate. Many species are called barrel cactus. Norma

Hope you find a good place to live in Albq. A quick and dirty summary on Burque horticulture: Sources of plant info (none are exact for Albq, as they cover many areas; look at 0-10F for the avg annual winter low & at 100F for a summer high, and you will be off to a good start): New Mexico Gardener's Guide-Judith Phillips (and anything else by her) Native Plants for Southwestern Landscapes-Judy Mielke Growing Desert Plants...-Ted Hodoba Sunset Western Garden Book Some folks will tell you Albuquerque cannot be defined into a particular climate, but that is usually due to not looking at all the readily-available climate data and observing the many, many plants in cultivation & in the wild. Ponderosa pine, blahgrass, spruce, potentilla or aspens do poorly in town, unless they are using one's water pipes, so "forget that noise"---but southwestern oaks, desert willow, 3 species of mesquite, chaste tree / vitex, etc-etc. MORE than make up for those species that wish they were in Atlanta or Norway. Add lots of shrubs, succulents (and beargrass, yuccas, sotols and agaves galore!), and multitudes of dryland grasses and wildflowers, and there are probably more plants that thrive in Albuquerque than ANYWHERE in NM, compared to "Fanta Se", esp. Taos and even Las Cruces---we are mild more than wild, and rarely too hot or cold. Simply put, there are two main areas of Albuquerque: 1) the city / middle Rio Grande Valley / foothills = warmer, best called the upper Chihuahuan Desert---AND---2) the East Mountain areas outside of Albq (the east side of the Sandias, NOT the foothills along Tramway) = cooler, best called the Arizona-New Mexico Mountains, much like the Rocky Mountain foothills around Santa Fe or Colo Springs, getting more snow and freezing weather, but less summer heat than us in town. But being from Austin, I bet anywhere in NM will feel more pleasant in the summer!! (and we are sunnier, too) Albuq climate zones: USDA 7 / Sunset 10 cover most of Albq-Rio Rancho-Belen, the coldest spots in the valley are probably USDA 6 / Sunset 3b, and thermal belt areas like UNM-Coronado Mall-Glenwood Hills-Ladera seem to be USDA 8 / Sunset 10) East Mtn areas are mostly USDA 5-6 / Sunset 2-3. Most of Albuquerque is ARID (desert grassland and mesa sand scrub) @ 6-10" of precip / year (6-12" snow). The foothills are often semi-arid (des. grassland-shrub live oak-chaparral) @ 10-18" precip / year (10-20" snow). The East Mountain areas are semi-arid (pinon-juniper-deciduous oak-plains grassland) @ 10"-20" precip / year (20-40" snow). The closest thing in Texas to Albq would be Marfa or Ft Davis, or better yet, a cross of Amarillo and El Paso! It is easier and far more satisfying to embrace our high desert environment and totally divorce oneself from wetter places in most of the garden. That is just starting to happen on a decent scale in town, and it is refreshing. Again, good luck! (and be prepared for spring winds---62 straight days without measurable rain & 122 consecutive days without a soaking rain in Albq---the record-setting rainy winter of last year is definitely in the past) David

Thanks Cactus Dude. After breaking off the joints from the pieces brought home, I have plenty even if only half of them take root. The hubby has some unusual tastes. He also wanted bamboo in the back yard (working on that, what's recommended for this area (Golden Goddess, non-invasive, clumper) and was planted last year, looks pretty poor so far, but it still freezes sometimes at night. If the cholla takes, I'd like to add some prickly pear, a few Agave, maybe a century plant in the front yard in the rock landscaping. The back I want much greener (but not allowed to plant anything needing mowing). Besides the bamboo, which may or may not be successful, I've had great success with the Datura and Devils Claws. I think there'll be alot of Datura this year because it is so green and showy, but I'll have to keep up with the prickly seed pods. Thank you for being so generous with your offer Dude. vidito1