Disco
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Help, 37 year old cactus has lost 1/2 it's spines and gone w

Hey Guys

I am new to the forum and basically a complete beginner with cacti and succulents.

I have recently inherited a cactus that was given to my grandmother and has been estimated at 37 years old. It has been neglected most of its life and as far as I am aware has only ever been re-poted a couple of times.

The cactus is approx 20cm high and 7cm in diameter but after extracting it from its pot the spines on the lower half have all fallen off and the bottom of the cactus is all woody. There are no soft spots or rot that I can see and after a clean the roots look okish...

Is it going to live?

What is the best approach for re-potting? I have a range of pots available and have purchased some 'cactus potting mix'. Do I plant it deep, up to to the spines? If I cut it in half and dry it, us it likely to grow new roots and I just re-pot a 10cm cactus?

Any help and advice would be appreciated.

Cheers
Ian
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Disco
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Some more pictures:
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Disco
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Picture 3 and 4
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Disco
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Location: Invercargill, New Zealand

Also, can anyone identify what the exact variety is. Thank you :D
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ButterflyLady29
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Did the dark outer layer of the plant get rubbed off where the light green patches are between the root and spines? If so the rubbed patches need to dry and scab over before repotting.

Usually cactus get repotted at the same level they were originally. Cactus soil is best for potted cacti. Any pot needs excellent drainage because wet roots rot easily and quickly.

Disco
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Location: Invercargill, New Zealand

Thank you for the reply.

The spines on the bottom half looked dead and just fell off after I took it out of its old pot. They were below the top level of the pot, so perhaps not getting enough light?

It is all dry and woody already so I think it has scabed over like you mention.

I have reported it, it's in a cactus potting mix with a good rock base to add drainage. I have planted it deep though so that the dry/exposed part is under the soil. Do you think it needs raised to expose this again?

Thank you.

ButterflyLady29
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I would raise it so it is at the same soil level it was when you took it out of the other pot. I'm not familiar enough with barrel cacti to know if it will grow roots along the trunk. I don't know the species of your cactus.

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Gary350
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Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

I don't remember the name of that cactus but I know it is a bit sensitive to too much water and soil that is too wet. You need a larger pot. The white part of the cactus is the part that was not rooted in soil and did not get sun. Get some child play sand mix in 10% garden soil re pot your cactus in a larger pot with soil covering the white part of the cactus. Water the cactus most of the water needs to run out the bottom of the pot. Cactus needs some fertilizer if all it has been given for 37 years is water it needs some food too. The 10% garden soil in the sand will give the cactus some nutrients for a while you need to feed it later. Water the soil every time it gets dry.

If you dig up an Arizona desert cactus you will see top 4" of the desert is dry soil but soil down deeper is moist. Cactus in the dry 4" of soil will be white color from no sun light with no roots because it is not wet. Your cactus is a very common low elevation desert cactus found south of Phoenix near Casa Granda and about 1/2 way to Tucson.



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