What, that is so weird! Ok to be honest theyre getting more sun than theyre used to, I just moved from an apartment to a house 3 weeks ago so theyre getting sun in a YARD but only for a few hours a day. ALSO its winter here in Sydney so the sun is actually very gentle, comparatively speaking...

My cacti are so soft...

so the sun is actually very gentle, comparatively speaking...

==>>> they were taken from indoors to outdoors ...

some suggest that even shade outdoors.. is significantly more light intensity .... than thru a window indoors ...

i would have hardened off any plant taken indoors to outdoors in shade for at least a week or 3 ... before allowing any direct sun ... except for maybe an hour or two at dawn or dusk ....

ken

Hi guys

I have been lost in exam mode in the last month or so. I was disheartened to see the yellow dots have spread on my cactus (before and after below).

Im not sure that its sunburn because my maidenhairs which were also inside are exposed to similar conditions (few hours winter sun a day) and they’re going well.

Please let me know any other suggestions??? Thankyou/sorry Im super anxious about this : ( Any help is extremely appreciated.

kindest,

Lauren

It does look like a burn, but if you look closely you can see rust fungus. Doubt it’s burn considering your maidenhair are doing fine in similar conditions. My first thought is spider mite damage, but it doesn’t quite look like mite damage.

I honestly think it’s rust fungus. I looked at your first pic in the comment you just made and your original comment, and it really looks like fungus. That would make sense since your maidenhairs are doing ok.

I don’t have much experience with fungus on cactus. If I do get any little red rust spots in the winter by the time my late spring early summer comes along all the dry air and low humidity puts a stop to it.

If you use any sprays like a fungicide keep the cactus out of the sun.

Once you get a handle on the fungus the cactus will be fine. It’ll grow and those marks will no longer be on the top, but on the sides of the cactus, the marks will forever be there. Sometimes damage will give you a one of a kind cactus tho. I have a cactus right now that had mealybugs last year. The bugs are gone, but the bugs affected the top growth. Tbh honest I really like how the cactus is growing.

I circled some spots that clearly look like the beginning of red rust fungus.

Oh thanks so much for that detailed response Kara : ) I will look in to an anti red rust fungus product. Thanks again.

Hello everyone! My torch cactus growth is long and thin since the weird dark spots last June... it’s kinda like its grown a knob at the top. Lol. does Anyone have any explanations per chance?

kindest,

lauren

Aw photo doesn’t seem to be uploading!

Guessing by your verbal description that it’s etoliated because of insufficient light. Hopefully we’ll be able to tell a little bit better after you can get the image posted.

Ok uploading from my computer now - hope this works! It gets full sun, I havent changed anything in order for this to happen. The only variable I can think of is it got sunburnt almost a year ago. Orrr maybe this is the shape it actually grows in to? : I Just checked the roots and there are some very fine ones but its far from being root bound. Thankyou x1000000 : )

It’s ok:). What happened was the growing tip was damaged at one point. Could have been from frost or the sun. The cactus scabbed over and now it’s growing through the scars. It’ll always have those scars, but it should be perfectly fine.

If I could give you one more piece of advice, even tho you didn’t ask;). Definitely repot with more perlite and or pumice. Your mix should be fast draining. When you unpot and notice the roots are super rootbound go up an inch or two in the pot, but if they’re not that impressive keep the same size pot:). No water for 7-10 days after repotting. Goodluck;).

Thankyou Kara : ) So I can see its growing through the scars, but does this mean it will always be thin from now on? or will it eventually get back to the thickness it was before... like maybe do that thing where it shoots up thin, but then fills out? And extra advice always welcome, thankyou.

I totally forgot you live in Sydney, wait till spring to repot;). Keep dry and away from humidity during the cooler months also.

I don’t have a crystal ball, but I’m fairly certain your cactus will plump out overtime. As long as the light is right of course;), and the from the looks of it you’ve provided proper light so far. The scars will always be there and it may have a slight indent, but overtime it should fill out. It just looks funny now because its only had one growing season to grow thru the scars. I can imagine in a few more growing seasons the cactus will look A ok.

I‘m pretty sure you’ve got a Browningia hertlingiana. Here’s some info on your cactus. They’re really beautiful. I have one, but it’s about the size of your little baby growth on top;).

Thankyou so much for your wonderful help! Lets see how it plays out. Haha why cant my cacti be well behaved like my other plants lol. xo