---
title: "Got this variegated prickly pear about 2-3 weeks ago, didn’t water…"
description: "Got this variegated prickly pear about 2-3 weeks ago, didn’t water for 16 days after I bought it and put it in a south facing window. Noticed it started…"
url: "https://getplanta.com/community/lKxUkhzRR_aIJD7o1QvtwQ/LvGGIr2wRby8bZm144Lavg?language=ko"
community: "Pests, diseases and problems"
author: "jere"
published: "2024-07-11T02:15:44.530593Z"
language: "en"
image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/hEmDH6m7kSlqXz_ULpW7sANp0UqMxRTCyADxKAEVuzY/k8S7aI4kTCOMDY9uG9HRTA.webp?size=large"
---

[커뮤니티](https://getplanta.com/community.md?language=ko) / [Pests, diseases and problems](https://getplanta.com/community/lKxUkhzRR_aIJD7o1QvtwQ.md?language=ko)

# Got this variegated prickly pear about 2-3 weeks ago, didn’t water…

_jere님이 2024-07-11에 게시함_

Got this variegated prickly pear about 2-3 weeks ago, didn’t water for 16 days after I bought it and put it in a south facing window. Noticed it started looking a bit wrinkly and soft so I gave it a thorough watering 2 days ago - now it seems a bit more sturdy at the bottom but still soft at the top, so I checked its roots and they look healthy and fine, no sign of rot. However, found 2 tiny transparent worm in the soil which Im assuming are fungus gnat larvae, so I repotted it and sprayed with diluted hydrogen peroxide, should I water its new soil or keep it dry?  
Since it’s soft Im not sure what to do and if the worms or underwatering is the cause of this issue! What do you guys think, is my cactus okay?

![4개 중 1번째 첨부 파일](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/hEmDH6m7kSlqXz_ULpW7sANp0UqMxRTCyADxKAEVuzY/k8S7aI4kTCOMDY9uG9HRTA.webp?size=large)

![4개 중 2번째 첨부 파일](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/hEmDH6m7kSlqXz_ULpW7sANp0UqMxRTCyADxKAEVuzY/t3afzq5LTGKObS1RMUDAZQ.webp?size=large)

![4개 중 3번째 첨부 파일](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/hEmDH6m7kSlqXz_ULpW7sANp0UqMxRTCyADxKAEVuzY/OJYqWaMHT_O8tT4KfKRF-A.webp?size=large)

![4개 중 4번째 첨부 파일](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/hEmDH6m7kSlqXz_ULpW7sANp0UqMxRTCyADxKAEVuzY/tpvZITCLTpGlRoiLDylDVA.webp?size=large)

## 3개의 댓글

### Jbear13님이 2024-07-11에 댓글을 남겼어요.

I’m not a pro by any means but just a little tidbit I learned… a translucent worm like thing could also be a beneficial nematode! I had found one crawling about in one of my first Walmart rescues and got so worried lol. But come to find out it was a “good” little worm 🤓 just let your prickly pear relax for a bit in its new soil and hopefully it will prosper!

### eatyacarbs님이 2024-07-11에 댓글을 남겼어요.

cool looking paddle!

here’s the thing — it has so few roots that rot could be lurking right around the corner. go verrrryy sparingly with water until those roots get more established.

if you’ve watered this like a normal plant, that’s the problem. tiny roots in a comparatively large pot will rot your cactus with the quickness, as there aren’t enough roots to make use of all the water.

with healthy roots it’s best practice to water thoroughly until water runs through the pot (or bottom watering) — in this case, i would only do a liiiiittle bit of water just at the base of the plant only when it’s bone dry. underwatering is always better than over with cactus \& succs

good luck!!

#### eatyacarbs님이 2024-07-11에 답변했습니다.

i would get this as close to your sunniest window as possible, too — south facing is best, west in a pinch

---

_Planta 커뮤니티 (https://getplanta.com). 누구나 읽을 수 있습니다. 게시물을 올리고, 댓글을 달고, 좋아요를 누르려면 Planta 앱을 다운로드하세요: https://getplanta.com/download_