The sudden loss of a plant can be a perplexing thing to deal with. Sometimes
they seem to just die despite our best efforts seemingly for no reason. You
appear to have done your best to hold them over the winter dormancy period
so you shouldn't feel responsible for the plant's untimely demise.

Succulents are most susceptible to rapid infections and parasites during the
winter resting season. It could have been a fungus infection. Usually the
cortex is too far gone before there are any apparent symptoms and there is
nothing that can be done to save the plant. You may also want to check the
roots for signs of root mealy bug infestation.


"madgardener" wrote in message
...
Well, I was sitting in the livingroom the other night, and was looking at
the cart where I have some of the cacti and a few plants sitting it out in
front of a southern window until I can once again put them outside for
full
appreciation for sun, rain, etc, when I decided for some reason to look
closer at my huge golden barrel cactus I'd purchased a year and a half
ago.
It had survived thru the first winter after I bought it in replacement to
the smaller one, and loved the spring, summer and fall outside despite the
massive rainy weather we had last year. Moved it inside to the livingroom
(where my house is warm and dry due to heat pump), it got winter southern
exposure and slight watering every three weeks in a well draining pot that
I
made sure never had standing water on it. Walked over to it and poked it
carefully with a chop-stick and sure enough, my subtle feelings were dead
on.............it was dead, the spines were just fooling me into thinking
it
was still whole. I've killed yet another large specimen. Cereus, is it
because ALL these cacti need cooler, dryer temps? Emphasis on the
cooler......the house was consistantly 76-78 degrees, and dry. (heat pumps
do that, dry out the air badly) and I have decided regardless of wheather
there appears yet another large and tempting golden barrel cactus for sale
at Lowes for $19.97, I will NOT purchase it despite my adoration for them.
What on earth am I doing to these poor things that they're dissolving like
this? Makes me decide never to grow cacti again.........I know why the
kalanchole died, you hafta water those and I've been distracted with the
two
under the aquarium with the timed plant light. this has been a
distractable
year, to say the least. But I'll appreciate you're take on the reason, as
this isn't the first nice cactus I've had to do this over a span of a
couple
of decades. (the Cerius cacti by the way is fine.......but that pot is
HUGE, the plant is HUGE and I suspect it rides out the dry enviroment
better
than the smaller plants, althought this barrel cactus was as large as a
basketball.........sigh sniff ) Thanks for response when you
see this, Cereus.
madgardener, up on the soaked and damp ridge, back in faerie holler,
overlooking cloud draped English Mountain in Eastern Tennessee