kwl11
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Joined: Wed Sep 06, 2017 11:51 am
Location: North Carolina

Please help! cactus turning yellow and see-through

My cactus is turning yellow and translucent (the picture makes it look brown, but it looks more yellow against sunlight). I've had it for over a year now and it's survived a dorm room and an apartment in the meantime. This cactus has been prone to tipping over (I don't think the roots were ever very strong) and the last time I had to upright it, I planted it deeper in the soil than before.

I could be wrong, but I don't think it's root rot. The roots weren't mushy or smelly when I took the cactus out of the pot. I only water it every 2-3 weeks, the pot has drainage holes and it is planted in Bonsai Jack cactus soil. I have another smaller cactus and a bunch of succulents in the same soil with the same watering schedule and they seem to be doing fine.

My best guess right now is too much sun exposure because of the yellow color, and/or underwatering because it is becoming see-through and less firm (not quite squishy, just thin and not plump). The windowsill in my room faces a different direction than last year, so that could change the amount of sun. Any insight would be appreciated!
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applestar
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Posts: 30504
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

I was going to say sunburn, too.

Remember that the sun is starting to rise earlier and from more east than ESE. Closer to summer solstice, the sun will rise north of true east here. This means the sun’s rays are getting stronger and depending on the direction of the window, more sun exposure.

It’s also important not to let down your guard if you are far enough north to have freezing temperatures. Chill air from the windows can damage tender plants if they touch the glass.

Another issue is relative humidity in the house, though it might not be an issue with cactus. This is the last leg of the winter when the air can be so very dry in the house. It’s down to 20’s% at my house. Plant soils will dry out faster now.

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Gary350
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Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

You have a novelty cactus which is 2 cactus grafted together. It is hard to know what type cactus you really have. I see green part is not San Pedro cactus that is the only cactus I know that is sun sensitive but San Pedro is not a true cactus and not easy to grow. Cactus does good in the worse weather conditions, ice, snow, blizzard conditions for months then hot dry blister desert conditions with no rain for months is not a problem. When cactus gets rot it is very soft and mushy. Low elevation cactus that live where it seldom rains is sensitive to too much water and can rot within 2 weeks of being exposed to too much water. Cactus that is not getting enough water usually shrinks and gets smaller day after day so slow it is not very noticeable for a while. If that were my cactus I would repot it in a clay pot filled with child play sand, put the plant deep enough sand is 1/2 way up the body of the cactus then water it every day with plenty of water so water runs out the bottom of the pot every day for 1 week. After that only give it about 1/4 cup of water per day. Ice cubes are a good way to water a cactus they melt slow. Also feed your cactus it needs fertilizer there is a very good chance the plant has a fertilizer problem. I use to have a cactus garden with 1000s of cactus I bought 15-15-15 fertilizer and nitrogen fertilizer in 50 lb bags. You only have 1 plant so buy the smallest fertilizer package you can something that is a bit high in nitrogen & feed your plant once a week. Cactus is hard to kill it should start looking better in 3 or 4 weeks. Even though cactus can deal with the worse extreme weather conditions it does best at 70 to 75 degrees with 4 hours of cool early morning sun then shade the rest of the day. When weather gets nicer put your cactus out side under a shade tree for a few months.



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