Aidan Shamo
Does anybody know why my spring cactus is wilting and wrinkling? I tried watering it as that’s what the internet said but it’s only getting worse.
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Does anybody know why my spring cactus is wilting and wrinkling? I… | Pests, diseases and problems | Comunidad de Planta
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- Christine
Overwatered probably. Always check the soil to make sure it’s dry before watering again. I use a bamboo skewer to check.
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AdrianI would check the roots for rot. If the roots are firm and light in color, they’re probably alright, but if they’re dark and mushy, or peel off at the touch, that’s rot. I can walk you through how to treat it if that’s the case. It can recover if the whole root system is rotted, since each leaf segment on this plant can become its own plant through propagation. Hope this helps!
2 Me gusta- Aidan Shamo
Thank you so much. I repotted it twice recently due to some pot issues so I don’t know if that has anything to do with it. I’m going to give it a few days under this growth light and if there aren’t any changes I’ll check the roots. Should I pluck the dead flowers?
0 Me gusta - Adrian
Plucking the dead flowers can help with reducing the amount of energy the plant needs to exert to recover, so feel free to remove the dead flowers. I’ve found gently twisting them off should do the trick without risk of damaging the plant too much, if you’re worried about cutting it too far down with shears. And if you suspect the plant went through shock from being recently repotted more than once, I definitely agree that could contribute to the problem. Sometimes with this type of cactus, they’ll go into a shock that makes them kill their entire root system off and start over, since their individual leaf segments can easily form roots when separated from the base plant. If you find the entire root system is no longer attached, or most of it has rotted away, getting some Bonide’s rooting powder for the “branches” after soaking the ends in a mix of peroxide and water for 10-20 minutes, patting them dry, and gently twisting off the most wrinkled/damaged leaves up top and any rotted bases below, then dipping the ends in the powder once they’ve been allowed to callous for a few hours to a day will help it grow the roots back and kill any lingering rot. It’ll take a few weeks to see any root development, but the rooting powder will help speed the process up. And if there is rot, you’ll probably want to use a fresh, well-draining cactus mix for this one. I swear by Espoma’s Organic Cactus and Succulent mix for mine. If you’re worried about overwatering or rot, I’d avoid any Miracle Grow brand soil for this one, even their cactus mix. It’s just not well draining enough for this plant. Fingers crossed that the roots are still intact, but if not, these guys are very hardy plants, so worst case scenario, it is possible to save the branches and leaves if propagated, even if it means starting their entire root system over.
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