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Two Questions from a total newbie...

19 years ago

PROBLEM NO 1: The photo below is one of my poor cacti...as you can see, it is in a very sad state. The original one died but the two outside babies (that you now see) were left like this.

Can I prop them up and fill the sandy mix right up to the bottom of them or will they rot?

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PROBLEM NO 2: Is this poor thing dying from the bottom up?

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Thanks for any help,

Annie

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Comments (3)

Joylene
19 years ago
Annie,
your first plants are Rebutias. I would repot them into some fresh mix. Put the potting mix only over the root portion and then support the plants and cover the elongated part with some course gravel.
The second plant might be a Notocactus. It looks like it may have mealy-bugs which have made the scarred base of the plant. If the plant is solid and doesn't have any soft rotted parts, it looks healthy enough on the top, I would repot it too into some fresh potting mix. Wash all the old soil off the roots before you repot and do the same as I mentioned above. Use some slow release fertilizer in the mix too. Cactus need food, especially this time of year. In my experience a healthy growing cactus doesn't get diseases and pests. Joylene.
Annie_qld
Original Author
19 years ago
Thanks, Joylene. It seems to me as though that brown bit on the second cactus is gradually creeping upwards. That's why I thought it might be dying.
Nearly all my plants have been in the same pots for years.
Do you think I should re-pot all of them? Not necessarily into bigger pots but just to refresh them all.
thanks,
Annie
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Here is a link that might be useful: This opens up a new C&S world

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