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Cacti & Succulents

My cactus is growing but in a bad place.

13 years ago

This winter I posted on this forum about a very unhealthy cacti I have which has now rooted :D It is also growing a new "leaf" but in a bad place. The cutting to begin with is very long and the new leaf is growing at the very tip of it.

Follow the useful link for a picture of it, probably easier to see than have me explain :P

Would it not be better if it grew the bottom part bigger before it starts expanding? Is it possible to direct growth like that? As it is now I fear it might break itself by getting too heavy at the top!

All advice apreciated!

//Viktor

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:564295}}

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Comments (6)

xerophyte NYC
13 years ago
A cactus is not a houseplant. Unless you can keep this plant outdoors during the growing season, it will not grow very well at all, no matter where you prune.

FYI, it is some sort of opuntioid. You can probably just remove the top portion with the new growth and re-root it to get yourself a more compact plant.

x
viktorswe
Original Author
13 years ago
Living in an apartment I dont really have anywhere outdoors to keep it :P Where would you make the cut for replanting?
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User
13 years ago
I'm no expert - but my experience is that cacti are pretty forgiving in terms of pruning. For aesthetics, it is generally suggested that you cut a pad off at the place it joins with the main plant. Altho I have had luck with pads that were sliced right down the middle (I do live in Arizona, so I have a climate advantage over you!)

In your case, there are two joints - one way down at the bottom and the other up at the new pad. However, I agree with xerophyte that you should cut off the portion with the new bud - maybe several inches below the new bud - slice through cleanly with a very sharp, clean knife and allow the pad to callus over. You want it to be completely dry before replanting in a loose, gritty mix. Don't water for a few weeks after planting (that's what I do, but I usually put mine in the ground)

You could also cut the remainder of that long piece off at the low joint and see if you have any luck getting that to grow as well. I'll bet that the main stem will put out another bud.

The biggest issue you have is going to be with light and, maybe, heat. If your cactus does not get enough of either, it will continue to grow long, goofy-looking pads.

But I encourage you to try pruning that top bit off and see what happens - it can't hurt! :-)
tjicken
13 years ago
I would cut off the whole long segment and just keep the main body.
viktorswe
Original Author
13 years ago
Well you saved it the last time tjicken so whatever you think is best :D Anything to think about afterwards?
tjicken
13 years ago
Not much.

The reason why I would not keep the long segment is that it will need a lot of support if it keeps growing like that. Pruning the plant while it is still relatively low seems to increase the likelihood that you will have something reasonably good starting material if you would end up living in a more cactus-friendly environment.

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