Spines on cactus turning wood-like! Please Help!

9 years ago

Hi,

The spines on my cactus, at the area located nearer to the soil, are turning brown/ black. I'm worried that something is wrong with it and that I'm supposed to do something to save it): I don't know the species and can't get much help from Google. The flesh of the cactus in that area is also in a shade of lighter green as compared to the rest of the cactus.

Please help me out! Thanks in advance!

- Grace

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Comments (5)

cooperdr_gw
9 years ago
It looks like it's got some rot there- or maybe it's just dirt.. The spines look a bit like an Echinocereus- not 100% sure that's what it is. itxtrstspan itxtnowrap" id="itxthook1p">clean{{gwi:807}} it up.

This post was edited by CooperDR on Sun, Nov 16, 14 at 12:32
hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
9 years ago
Where are you in Australia? Is that an indoor plant? It might be happier outside, at least during warm weather.

Cactus spines turn woody, and the base of most Cactus grow woody also with age. Some very old cactus will have a base that looks exactly like a trunk on a tree. So that's normal.

The question is, do you also have rot starting? How often are your watering? Cactus can go literally months without any water and be perfectly happy.
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cooperdr_gw
9 years ago
Yes I forgot to say that "woody" is probably good. I was looking at something that might be dirt- my bad. I thought that dirt was rot.
gracelow90
Original Author
9 years ago
Here's another photo! hopefully it's not rot/:

I'm in WA and I keep the plant indoors but I usually leave it near the windows for the afternoon sun.

Previously, I've watered it once every week but I'm thinking of cutting down on the watering cause I'm afraid that it'll end up being overwatered. The last time it's been watered was a week ago though.
hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
9 years ago
It looks okay, but once a week is a lot. You have it planted in grit? When your night time lows are regularly above 8 or 10C, I would leave it outside. (slowly accustom to direct light to avoid sunburn.) It will be MUCH happier. Hopefully a cactus person will chime in as to watering. I'm not growing many cactus and they get watered by winter rain alone--5"/year the past couple of years, and 6 months or more with no irrigation at all.