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Cacti & Succulents

New Cactus. Is it rotting?

15 years ago

Hello,

I just got a new 1.5" cactus and re-potted it. I have a concern about it, however. I noticed a dark black spot towards the base of the cactus. I read online that if the dark spot if soft and mushy, it should be removed immediately, but if it is hard then it is because it is old and there is no need to cut it off.

The thing I'm confused about is that the plant is small, so I thought it was a "baby", but the spot is hard. Could this spot have come from it's mother while it was still connected? Do you think I should cut this spot off?

I have posted a picture so you can see what I'm talking about.

Thanks in advance,

Sara

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:536716}}

Comments (3)

amccour
15 years ago
Link's giving me an error.

I have a ferocactus with hard orange spots and the non-dangerous scabbing that can come from overwatering. I got it from Walmart, hence the overwatering. I'm watching it to see if the stuff spreads, but it isn't. IF I remember correctly, hard spots are generally damage to the skin and can be from overwatering, but not something pervasive.
norma_2006
15 years ago
Is is hot or still cold in your area. If it got to cold when wet it could be rot, fungus, etc. I would take it out of the pot, and check and the roots and soil, if they are okay then put it back in a pot with dry soil, wait a week then water. Let it dry out between watering.
This is the right time of he year for them to be growing and flowering. If the roots are wrapped around the pot and the pot is hard when you squeese it perhaps it will need a larger pot, also new clean soil, trim off any dead roots, and cut them back about 25% and spray it off with soap and water wait 5 min. and rinse off
then replant into a new clean pot if the roots show signs of damage or if there are mealies in the old mix.
Remember that some species are extremely tiny and it is best to keep them in small pots until they grow into their new quarters. Norma
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Ok here's an additional photo of the barrel cactus in the process of repotting. It isn't the best quality photo but gives an accurate picture of what color each part of the cactus is. The brown color is not dirt; it is the actual color of the cactus. Please let me know if you think this is normal or if it is rotted. And if it is rotted, if you think it can be saved, and how. Thanks!!
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sarav2003
Original Author
15 years ago
I believe we are in 5a or 5b zone. I got the little thing from Kent Building Supplies in an outside part of the building, but it was warmed up.

The weather here is cold somedays, warm other days. For example, we had snow a few days ago, but yesterday it was considerably warmer (but not 20 degrees C or anything).

I just repotted the plant, and the root system seemed okay (but I'm no expert). The pot it came in was extremely tiny and the roots were wrapped around to the sides of the pot (and even coming out the hole in the bottom). I bought a pot, the next size up, and potted it last night. The roots seemed white and I never saw any bugs (I was looking for them because I didn't want to infect the rest of my plants).

Hopefully the link will work this time and you can see what I'm talking about.

Thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:536718}}

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