Well I left my columnar fence post type cactus out when it frosted and now some of the cactus is turning brown. I'm not sure of the species, but it's a very common variety. In any case I'd love some advice on what to do next. %80 of the cactus is fine (it stands about 4 feet tall) but the top sections are pretty brown and getting rotten. Should I remove the rotted sections of the cactus or leave them? Will leaving the rotted sections create problems for the rest of the cactus? Any advice will be very helpful. I've learned my lesson this time. Thanks!!!
If it were mine I'd trim back to sound tissue and I'd be sure to clean the tool between cuts with bleach or alcohol. The cut surface should suberize ( form a hard callous) and it may branch below the cut when growth resumes. Keep it on the dry side. Are you sure it's a cactus and not some euphorbia?
Actually you are right. It appears to be a Euphorbia Trigonum. If not it's very close to it. Would that change the scenario at all? Thanks for your quick reply!
thanks. I tucked the red and yellow Euphorbia under the roof on the western kitchen deck on the potting table. Brought in the split leaf philodendrum, and the vining split leaf phil. The variegated geranium (pelargonium) got nipped as it hung on the gutter on the southern side of the house, so I'll shake the soil from the roots and bag it and hang it upside down in the upstairs and hope it keeps until next spring like my grandmammy usta do. The cactus are all fine, but I am now figuring out the placement of the racks and iron ringed plant curtain. (the rings hook over the iron grids, which is free standing like a curtain that I found a couple few years ago in a Service Merchandise when it was going outa business, got solid iron, plant dividers for $25 each and got two of them. One stays outside under protection, the other comes inside to hold the assorted clay potted succulents and cacti in front of the den's eastern door.
the euphorbia's are desperate for light. I need to keep an eye on them during the winter so as not to lose them. Too unusual, and the gardener who gave them to me ordered them special. It's been so unseasonably warm here is why all mine are still out. Usually by Halloween I, too have moved all my tenders inside. I still have all the downstairs tropicals to drag in the basement! sigh.......thanks Cerieus, for the feedback. Plants coming in this weekend despite the comfortable and mid 60's and low 40's evenings for the next six days. (this global warming effect isn't thrilling me, it's making me lazy with normal activities regarding my houseplants!)
have to side with Cereus on this one. By the time I discover rot, it's usually killed off the remaining portion of the cactus and nothing on the rest of the plant can be saved. You can seperate it from the rest of your plants, cut it way back below the rot and hope for the best, just don't be surprised by the smelly death of the rest of the plant. You might get lucky, but you at least want to try. I've done the same and learned from my folly. And it won't be the last time one of mine gets rot as well.....I'm a well known murderer of cacti and succulents and the occaisonal tropical houseplant. I never give up...... madgardener whose love of all things horticultural still keeps her way too busy with mucking about with the affairs of these plants.............I just bought two desperately needing attention spider plants,one was just potbound and the pot was broken, the other's parent plants in the pots were yellow and almost gone from a frost at the Lowes in East Knoxville but had at least
75 extremely healthy and well rooted babies hangiing in great clusters on many, many stems that just needed clipping and repotting. So I bought them both for $2.25 total (the broken potted one was 50c, the other was let got for $1.75 when I looked at the receipt). by the time I repotted the healthy one, and the babies, I wound up with SIX pots of spider plants~ so two are going to a gardening friend next week to a good home, the others will reside with me this winter hopefully growing into healthy pots for springtime. sometimes a simple houseplant will add a bit of light and simple enjoyment to the collection.
Thanks for the reply Madgardener! I cut back the plant but it doesn't look good. Oh well! Live and learn! I won't chance any frost next time. I'm the same way though. I remember picking a piece of Wandering Jew that dropped off someones plant at the grocery store. 2 years later the thing was huge!
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