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Help please - can I rescue this cactus ?
 This cactus used to look entirely different a week ago. A lot chunkier and healthier. I've been noticing tiny flies around my house for some weeks (upstairs, downstairs). I figured it may be related to a dodgy spider plant elsewhere in the house. But I noticed today that the tip had shrivelled up. On closer inspection, I saw that the flies were congregating on around the cactus (tapping it revealed a couple more). Also of concern - prodding the cactus reveals it to be rather flimsy; feels hollowed out inside somewhat. Is there any way to turn this around?! I'm beside myself, because I inherited this from a late friend. On my father's advice, I filled a squirty bottle with water and some washing up liquid and sprayed the plant with that. In his experience, that's killed blackfly on leaves. |
Help please - can I rescue this cactus ?
On Apr 10, 7:12�pm, parakeet
wrote: [image:http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/4...bd2455xt3.jpg] This cactus used to look entirely different a week ago. A lot chunkier and healthier. I've been noticing tiny flies around my house for some weeks (upstairs, downstairs). I figured it may be related to a dodgy spider plant elsewhere in the house. But I noticed today that the tip had shrivelled up. On closer inspection, I saw that the flies were congregating on around the cactus (tapping it revealed a couple more). Also of concern - prodding the cactus reveals it to be rather flimsy; feels hollowed out inside somewhat. Is there any way to turn this around?! I'm beside myself, because I inherited this from a late friend. On my father's advice, I filled a squirty bottle with water and some washing up liquid and sprayed the plant with that. In his experience, that's killed blackfly on leaves. That soil doesn't look right for cactus, should be more sandy. You may have over watered it. I would slice off that top portion and get rid of it, it looks diseased. If with a sharp pen knife you pare out one of those nodules, coat wit a little rootone, and plant it you can make a new plant. |
Help please - can I rescue this cactus ?
parakeet wrote in
: [image: http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/4...38044fb9bd2455 xt3.jpg] This cactus used to look entirely different a week ago. A lot chunkier and healthier. it looks like you overwatered, or it was exposed to freezing. i doubt the flies caused the problems. is this the whole cactus, or a cutting? was it recently repotted? what type of soil? how often do you water it? lee -- Last night while sitting in my chair I pinged a host that wasn't there It wasn't there again today The host resolved to NSA. |
Help please - can I rescue this cactus ?
In article , parakeet
wrote: [image:http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/4...bd2455xt3.jpg] This cactus used to look entirely different a week ago. A lot chunkierand healthier. I've been noticing tiny flies around my house for some weeks (upstairs,downstairs). I figured it may be related to a dodgy spider plantelsewhere in the house. But I noticed today that the tip had shrivelled up. On closerinspection, I saw that the flies were congregating on around the cactus(tapping it revealed a couple more). Also of concern - prodding the cactus reveals it to be rather flimsy;feels hollowed out inside somewhat. Is there any way to turn this around?! I'm beside myself, because Iinherited this from a late friend. On my father's advice, I filled a squirty bottle with water and somewashing up liquid and sprayed the plant with that. In his experience,that's killed blackfly on leaves.-- parakeet The flies are devouring what already started to rot from too much moisture. I doubt you can save the cactus but if any part of it seems good, cut that off and give it to someone who has some experience rooting cactus segments. You can try it yourself but there's a knack to it, seems simple enough once you get good at it, but rarely works first couple tries, especially with someone who couldn't keep a whole cactus alive. It would've taken me at least three years to kill it! -paghat the ratgirl -- visit my temperate gardening website: http://www.paghat.com visit my film reviews website: http://www.weirdwildrealm.com |
Help please - can I rescue this cactus ?
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Help please - can I rescue this cactus ?
In article , enigma
wrote: (paghat) wrote in : The flies are devouring what already started to rot from too much moisture. I doubt you can save the cactus but if any part of it seems good, cut that off and give it to someone who has some experience rooting cactus segments. You can try it yourself but there's a knack to it, seems simple enough once you get good at it, but rarely works first couple tries, especially with someone who couldn't keep a whole cactus alive. It would've taken me at least three years to kill it! three years? i have cactuses that have been around & expanding for over 25 years. But that's not my definition of capacity to kill 'em them. A hardy succulent killed from underwatering goes down slowly. -paggers it was the one type of plant the feline hordes left alone. unfortunately the same isn't true of the current puppy horde... the Boston Terrier puppy *loves* cactus. anyway, it depends on the variety of cactus how hard it is to root, & it's generally far easier to root a top segment or 'arm' than a slice. i've always had sucess by just placing the piece to be rooted on damp cactus medium & ignoring it for a while, just moistening the soil every other week or so. i've also found bits of broken off cactus 'arm' on the floor behind the pot with roots starting. i just pot those up. the cactus in the photo looks pretty doomed though. the tip is shriveled & s/he states the bottom part is mushy. i would attempt cutting off the shriveled tip & potting that in damp cactus mix in a pot with *good* drainage & seeing if it might root. the key words being "cactus mix" (lots of sharp sand for air & drainage), "damp" (not soggy!), & "drainage" (let the poor thing dry out). cactus thrive on neglect, for the most part. let them dry out between waterings. if you *must* fertilize, use an extremely dilute mix & do it only once/year (i do fertilize mine in the spring before i kick them out the door for the summer). and if you move them outside for the summer & you live in a non-arid region, be prepared to move them under cover if it rains. most houseplant cactuses die from too much attention. lee -- visit my temperate gardening website: http://www.paghat.com visit my film reviews website: http://www.weirdwildrealm.com |
Help please - can I rescue this cactus ?
"enigma" wrote in message . .. especially with someone who couldn't keep a whole cactus alive. It would've taken me at least three years to kill it! three years? i have cactuses that have been around & expanding for over 25 years. I believe you skewed the gist of her post. Tuck your tongue in your cheek and Google 'cactus death+irony' ;) Val |
Help please - can I rescue this cactus ?
In article ,
enigma wrote: cactus Cactus in New Hampshire? Poor thing;-) -- Billy Impeach Pelosi, Bush & Cheney to the Hague http://angryarab.blogspot.com/ http://rachelcorriefoundation.org/ |
Help please - can I rescue this cactus ?
In article ,
"Val" wrote: "enigma" wrote in message . .. especially with someone who couldn't keep a whole cactus alive. It would've taken me at least three years to kill it! three years? i have cactuses that have been around & expanding for over 25 years. I believe you skewed the gist of her post. Tuck your tongue in your cheek and Google 'cactus death+irony' ;) Val I strongly applaud the cactus' right to defend itself. That said, what vengeance might they meet out to enigma, their captor of 25 years, for the agony of the cold and damp? I'm sure they are planning their retribution as we speak. I think it is enigma who is going to get skewed;-) -- Billy Impeach Pelosi, Bush & Cheney to the Hague http://angryarab.blogspot.com/ http://rachelcorriefoundation.org/ |
Help please - can I rescue this cactus ?
Billy wrote in
ct.net.au: I strongly applaud the cactus' right to defend itself. That said, what vengeance might they meet out to enigma, their captor of 25 years, for the agony of the cold and damp? I'm sure they are planning their retribution as we speak. I think it is enigma who is going to get skewed;-) well, they are taking over the available plant light space... & there are a couple that are *daring* me to attempt repotting... but they're so pretty in bloom. lee -- Last night while sitting in my chair I pinged a host that wasn't there It wasn't there again today The host resolved to NSA. |
Help please - can I rescue this cactus ?
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Help please - can I rescue this cactus ?
In article ,
enigma wrote: Billy wrote in news:wildbilly- : In article , enigma wrote: cactus Cactus in New Hampshire? Poor thing;-) hey, there are cactus that are native to *Canada*! zone 3! (& i need to get a couple, as they're one of my tortoise's favorite foods). but my cactuses are quite spoiled, with plant lights in winter & summers outside... lee Cactus in Canada? :-0 -- Billy Impeach Pelosi, Bush & Cheney to the Hague http://angryarab.blogspot.com/ http://rachelcorriefoundation.org/ |
Help please - can I rescue this cactus ?
In article ,
enigma wrote: Billy wrote in ct.net.au: I strongly applaud the cactus' right to defend itself. That said, what vengeance might they meet out to enigma, their captor of 25 years, for the agony of the cold and damp? I'm sure they are planning their retribution as we speak. I think it is enigma who is going to get skewed;-) well, they are taking over the available plant light space... & there are a couple that are *daring* me to attempt repotting... but they're so pretty in bloom. lee Thinkin' of gettin' me a prickely pear. Local CSA has a hundred foot row of the planted in good ol' Sonoma County clay. -- Billy Impeach Pelosi, Bush & Cheney to the Hague http://angryarab.blogspot.com/ http://rachelcorriefoundation.org/ |
Help please - can I rescue this cactus ?
Billy wrote in
ct.net.au: Thinkin' of gettin' me a prickely pear. Local CSA has a hundred foot row of the planted in good ol' Sonoma County clay. yes, prickly pears! the pads are good, the fruit is great! they have an extremely wide range (to zone 3, if it's not too soggy). try to find the variety that doesn't have the spines, but remember those fuzzy little bits are just as nasty & wear gloves when picking & peeling. and if you have tortoises, they'll love the leftovers. i know mine can deal with the spines, but i peel them anyway. lee -- Last night while sitting in my chair I pinged a host that wasn't there It wasn't there again today The host resolved to NSA. |
Help please - can I rescue this cactus ?
Jangchub wrote in
: On Fri, 11 Apr 2008 23:13:27 -0700, Billy wrote: Thinkin' of gettin' me a prickely pear. Local CSA has a hundred foot row of the planted in good ol' Sonoma County clay. I have a beautiful Opuntia which I think is 'Santa Rita' and has pink hued pads with pale, creamy yellow flowers. I'd be happy to send you a pad which will root in about a month on the ground. I may even have some rooted pads. could i beg one too? i don't have as many daylilies as Cheryl, but maybe something else? lee -- Last night while sitting in my chair I pinged a host that wasn't there It wasn't there again today The host resolved to NSA. |
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