My cactus isn't doing so well. Part of it is dried out. Here are some pictures.
One of them has been concentrating on the arm, and the top dried out. Should I cut off the dried part?
I accidentally broke top off the other one and it grew three new ones. Could I cut them off and graft one back on so it has one good top instead of three? I was also thinking of grafting one of them onto the other one to replace the dry part.
I also planted the top that broke off.
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Raccoon1400
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Your cactus appears to be a member of the opuntia family. Is that correct? If so, you want them to develop more pads. In light of that, I wouldn't disturb the one that produced 3 pads when the top broke off.
The damage/yellowing looks to me like heat damage. I've seen similar damage to my own cacti when I leave them on my west windowsill on hot summer days. Cacti can take a lot of heat, but they need air circulation. I've learned simply to place mine down on the countertop, so they aren't right up close to the window glass, when it's hot outdoors.
You can graft the top that broke off if you want to. Grafting cacti isn't something that ever particularly interested me, but some people enjoy it as a hobby. I have a cousin in L.A. who loves it and has probably hundreds of grafted cacti.
You could also just root the parts of your cacti that broke off. In nature, opuntia pads break off routinely and fall on the ground, where they root and produce new plants. They root quite easily, but use dry soil when you root them. The dryness causes the start to send out roots in search of water. Then you'll have that many more cacti to enjoy.
The opuntia family contains cacti such as "bunny ears", sometimes called prickly pears. The pads are edible, and the cacti produce fruit that is also edible. Careful preparation is a must to remove all the little thorns.
The damage/yellowing looks to me like heat damage. I've seen similar damage to my own cacti when I leave them on my west windowsill on hot summer days. Cacti can take a lot of heat, but they need air circulation. I've learned simply to place mine down on the countertop, so they aren't right up close to the window glass, when it's hot outdoors.
You can graft the top that broke off if you want to. Grafting cacti isn't something that ever particularly interested me, but some people enjoy it as a hobby. I have a cousin in L.A. who loves it and has probably hundreds of grafted cacti.
You could also just root the parts of your cacti that broke off. In nature, opuntia pads break off routinely and fall on the ground, where they root and produce new plants. They root quite easily, but use dry soil when you root them. The dryness causes the start to send out roots in search of water. Then you'll have that many more cacti to enjoy.
The opuntia family contains cacti such as "bunny ears", sometimes called prickly pears. The pads are edible, and the cacti produce fruit that is also edible. Careful preparation is a must to remove all the little thorns.
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Raccoon1400
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I don't know what kind it is.Kisal wrote:Your cactus appears to be a member of the opuntia family. Is that correct? If so, you want them to develop more pads. In light of that, I wouldn't disturb the one that produced 3 pads when the top broke off.
The damage/yellowing looks to me like heat damage. I've seen similar damage to my own cacti when I leave them on my west windowsill on hot summer days. Cacti can take a lot of heat, but they need air circulation. I've learned simply to place mine down on the countertop, so they aren't right up close to the window glass, when it's hot outdoors.
You can graft the top that broke off if you want to. Grafting cacti isn't something that ever particularly interested me, but some people enjoy it as a hobby. I have a cousin in L.A. who loves it and has probably hundreds of grafted cacti.
You could also just root the parts of your cacti that broke off. In nature, opuntia pads break off routinely and fall on the ground, where they root and produce new plants. They root quite easily, but use dry soil when you root them. The dryness causes the start to send out roots in search of water. Then you'll have that many more cacti to enjoy.
The opuntia family contains cacti such as "bunny ears", sometimes called prickly pears. The pads are edible, and the cacti produce fruit that is also edible. Careful preparation is a must to remove all the little thorns.
I already planted the part that broke off, it seems to be growing.
It dried out during the winter, could it still be heat damage? Should I move the cactus and wait for it to recover or is it too late to save that part?
It could be heat damage if you have forced air heat in your house and the plant was near a register. For that matter, placing it anywhere where it would be exposed to direct heat from a furnace or radiator could cause damage.
If you have planted the broken top and it's growing, then I would just let it grow.
The yellowed/damaged part will never "heal" and become green again. Plants don't do that. It may produce young plants, though, which are called "pups" or "offsets". When they become large enough, they can be separated from the parent plant and potted up individually.
If you have planted the broken top and it's growing, then I would just let it grow.
The yellowed/damaged part will never "heal" and become green again. Plants don't do that. It may produce young plants, though, which are called "pups" or "offsets". When they become large enough, they can be separated from the parent plant and potted up individually.
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Raccoon1400
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This cactus is growing again.
The one with the three pads on the top is continues to grow those pads. I will let it be.
The one with the tried top has sprouted two new pads, one just below the dried part and one on the arm.
And I cut off one of the pads on the arm and planted it.
The piece that broke off the top that I planted last summer has sprouted another pad too.
Should I cut the dried up top off?
Pics:
https://picasaweb.google.com/Raccoon140 ... directlink
The one with the three pads on the top is continues to grow those pads. I will let it be.
The one with the tried top has sprouted two new pads, one just below the dried part and one on the arm.
And I cut off one of the pads on the arm and planted it.
The piece that broke off the top that I planted last summer has sprouted another pad too.
Should I cut the dried up top off?
Pics:
https://picasaweb.google.com/Raccoon140 ... directlink
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