How do I know if my cactus is rotting?

Eriosyce_aspillagae

We love cacti, but watering… oh! irrigation. It is very difficult to control, even if you have been taking care of the plants for a long time. Whether we water too little or too much, in the end the poor succulents cannot grow as they should.

One of the questions we ask ourselves the most, especially when we start, is the following: How do i know if my cactus is rotting? Because of course, if it rots, we can already assume that we will be losing it, or maybe not?

How do you know if a cactus is rotting?

Well, the truth is that as in everything in this life, it depends. What does it depend on? Of the cactus itself, of the season of the year in which we find ourselves, of the amount of water that we pour on it and of the frequency with which we water it. A) Yes, a healthy and well-cared for cactus when touched, yes we will notice it hard, unless we do a little pressure, in which case it is normal for the fleshy body to give a little.

But ... what happens if you are not getting the amount of light you need or you are not watering properly? In these cases, the cactus softens. If it is in an area that is not bright enough, what will happen to it is that it will etiolate, that is, it will grow as much as possible towards a light source. As a consequence, the new stems that emerge are very weak, so much so that they often fall under their own weight.

Copiapoa hypogaea

Copiapoa hypogaea

If, on the other hand, the problem you have is that you are not watering as often as you should, the cactus can get sick. The symptoms are:

  • Excess irrigation: the roots die suffocated and the fleshy body of the plant rots quickly.
  • Lack of irrigation: When a cactus has not received water for a long time, to survive it adopts a drastic survival measure: consume the water it has stored in its reserve, that is, in the fleshy body itself. If the situation goes on too long, the plant "wrinkles" as it runs out of precious liquid.

What to do to avoid it?

Basically, there are three things we can do:

  1. Use a substrate that has very good drainage, either pumice, black peat mixed with perlite in equal parts, or similar.
  2. Check soil moisture before watering, inserting a thin wooden stick and see how much has adhered to it. If it comes out practically clean, it means that it is dry.
    Another option is to take the pot before watering and again after a few days. As the dry substrate does not weigh the same as when it is wet, it can serve as an orientation. Lastly, you can buy a digital soil moisture meter, very useful for these cases and facilitate measurements.
  3. Place the cactus in an area where it receives a lot of sunlight, if possible directly throughout the day. These plants do not live well in semi-shade, much less in shade. Of course, for this you have to get used to it little by little. You have more information on this topic here.

If you have doubts, do not leave them in the inkwell. Question 😉.


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      Rogelio Nothing More said

    Your recommendations have a fatal error. Yes, cacti love the sun, however, for a young cactus, the direct sun will burn it and those wounds will cause fungi, bacteria and bad formations that can kill it in a very short time. In nature, many cacti are protected by nurse plants, which provide shade for the young cactus. Without that shade, burns and injuries are imminent. Above all, if we buy a cactus in a nursery, they are used to a lot of lighting, but not so much like that, to direct sun. So first you have to get used to them.

         Monica Sanchez said

      Hi Rogelio.
      You are absolutely right: cacti that are not used to the sun burn out quickly. I talk about this topic in this Another item.
      A greeting.

         Valeria jovel said

      Hello I wanted to ask a question
      I have mini cactus with substrates all the way down, then I put the layer of soil on it and it already has natural stones to decorate

      What I wanted to know is that if I put them in direct sun, I don't know if the stones are going to heat up and the cactus could die.

      For now I put them in a window but light hits them but not direct I do not know if it is good or bad
      Help me please thank you

      jacqueline gonzalez said

    I have a large cactus but it is turning brown from top to bottom, what will it be?

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Jacqueline.
      Have you been in the same area for a long time (years)? If so, you may have suffered from overwatering. In any case, I recommend treating it with a fungicide.
      A greeting.

      Laura Juliana BENITES SUAREZ said

    Hello good afternoon, they gave me a cactus, I do not have much knowledge about them, I had it in a window where it gave good light, but then I passed it to a place where it gave it light but not much, the cactus began to blacken, but stalks continue to grow at the tips and are light green. I would like to know if it is dying or what it has and if I can do something to make it green again. Again I placed it on the window to recover.

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello Laura.
      From what you count, it looks like it's burning. Putting it next to the window runs that risk, since it produces the magnifying glass effect. The sun's rays enter through the glass, and when they hit the cactus they burn it.

      I recommend putting it in a bright area, but next to (and not in front of or next to) the window.

      Unfortunately, it will not regain its green color, but it can grow.

      A greeting.

      Daniela said

    Hello, I have a cactus that has shrunk dramatically. It even had flowers, now it barely peeks out of the ground. Which may be? It is in the sun constantly. I also have some succulents that are turning brown at the base of the leaves and the plant is all loose.
    I await your advice. Thanks a lot.

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello Daniela.
      Your first floor from what you say seems to be suffering from too much sun. So I recommend you put it in semi-shadow.

      With respect to the rest, how often do you water? The symptom you mention is usually an indicator of excess watering.

      By the way, cacti and succulents are succulents, since they both retain -a lot- water in some part of their body 🙂

      I hope I've helped. All the best.

      Luz said

    I have a captus and it is brown and super loose to the point that everything I can do to recover it has been collected.

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello, Luz.
      When it is already like that it is difficult to recover it 🙁

      The only thing that could be done is not to water it at all, treat it with a fungicide (for fungi), and wait.

      Ariadne said

    Hello, I have a small cactus and it has at its base next to the earth like a gray powder that was formed, does anyone know what it could be? Thanks a lot.

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello Ariana.
      It might be mushrooms. Treat it with a fungicide spray, and reduce the risks.
      This is how it will improve 🙂

      Emmy said

    Hi, I'm new to the cactus thing. Today in the morning I passed my cactus by the window (usually it is always on a desk about 5 meters from the window). I watered it and went out, in the afternoon I came back and noticed that one of its arms came off. Totally, it fell, but the little arm that fell off is well hydrated and without burns and the place where it is seen that it came off is normal (green, without burns, without signs of fungus) I am worried, any recommendations on what happens?

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Emmy.
      From what you count, it seems that someone owed him a blow or something, because it is not normal for a healthy arm to fall off just like nothing.

      You can treat it with fungicide just in case it was fungus, and water it less if you used to water it frequently. But wow, I don't think it's anything 🙂

      A greeting.

      Júlia said

    Hi there! They gave me a cactus in November that makes about 60cm, it seems that it is wrinkling a little and the thorns closer to the root are turning white. In color it is a little darker but when I touch it it is hard. Can someone tell me what's wrong? Thanks,

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello Julia.
      Do you have it in direct sun or next to a window? If so, you could be suffering from burns.

      If you want, send us a photo on our Facebook and we will tell you. Find us by @cibercactusblog

      A greeting.

      aglae said

    Hola!
    We have a large nopal that in the union between nopal and nopal is turning brown with black and with the rain it seems that they cry black, where there have been cuts, it seems that they burned from the black that they put on, could you help me what will it be? Could you send photos to where how do I do it?

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Aglae.
      Treat them with fungicide, and cut clean with scissors previously disinfected with pharmacy alcohol.

      If they do not improve, write us again. 🙂

      A greeting.

      Ximena said

    Hello, I have a small cactus, when I bought it they told me that it should not be in the sun since they were always shaded and that I would water it every 15 days, it is a small ball, but it started to turn brown and it is a little watery. The test of the wooden stick and the earth stuck, I had it in a place with a lot of shade, but I want to know if something can be done, despite the fact that this little water, I would like it to be replaced but I don't know.

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello, ximena.
      Ca ctus are sunny plants, but if you had them protected you have to get used to it little by little and gradually, avoiding the central hours of the day.

      Do you have a plate under it? If so, it may be that you have suffered from overwatering. In this case, I would recommend you remove it from the pot, and keep it for a few days in a bright and dry area. Then, plant it again in a pot with river sand type soil or similar.

      A greeting.

      Corina said

    Hola!
    They gave me my first mini cactus a year ago, I don't know much about them, mine is one of those round and chubby ones (sorry I don't know almost anything hahaha). In general, apart from watering it, I have not done anything else for it. But one day suddenly they appeared to him like other baby cacti but they are not on the ground, I mean, they appeared on top of him, you can even see the mini roots hanging or_or is that normal ???? Are they babies or are they arms?

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Corina.
      Without seeing the photo I can't tell you. Do you have it in a bright place? If so, they are most likely suckers.
      A greeting.

      milu said

    Hello, I have a desert Gems cactus (it is the name according to the store where I bought it) apparently I watered it more than usual, I had only 2 weeks with it, every day during the day I put it in the sun for a while, since it I have it in the office, however today that I checked it I realized that it was watery and several of its parts fell off.

    He still has salvation, what can I do?

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Milu.
      I recommend you take it out of the pot and wrap the earth bread with absorbent paper. Leave it like that for a few days, and then plant it in a pot. Don't water more than twice a week.
      regards

      Maria Celeste said

    Hello good morning, I hope you can help me, I am from Argentina, I have two cacti, one I think is a Stetsonia coryne and the other I think is the one known as paper thorns.
    The Stetsonia coryne is wrinkling, and the green color has cleared up, it has three little children, in summer I watered it only once a week. I took it out of the pot and the root is brown a little wrinkled and dry. I changed the land I had and put fertilized soil for cacti.
    The other has a wrinkled base, I also watered it once a week in the hot months, the root is the same as that of the other cactus, and I also put fertilized soil on it.
    Neither of them are exposed to direct sun. I don't know what to do to save them, I have a lot of cacti but the truth started recently and I don't know much about it, although I try to find out about risks and others, but this time I'm worried that I won't be able to save them 🙁

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello Maria Celeste.
      From what you count, it can be two things:
      -that you have watered too little
      -or that the land they have does not drain the water well

      When you water a cactus, the water has to come out as quickly as possible, but not from the sides, it has to go down. It is also important to never put a plate under them, as standing water rots the roots.
      yes it is very
      That said, my recommendation is that you look at how the soil is on them, and that you water more often (2 times a week) if it is completely dry, or that you mix it with perlite in case it does not drain well.

      Greetings.

      Martín said

    Hello, I have a cactus that I bought a month ago, as it came in a plastic pot and I decided to change it to a clay pot, but when I took it out of the ground I noticed that the base is completely yellow, however the rest of the cactus is green ; I would like to know what it can be and what I can do to help you, is it that it came in an inappropriate substrate (I have already changed it) or is it something else, I water it every three weeks and I am worried that it might die, Thank you for your attention and I await your response.

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello Martin.
      What weather do you have in your area? I ask because once every three weeks may be too little for hot climates (Mediterranean for example), but it is fine if you live in an area where there is regular frost.

      In the case of living in a warm area, I recommend you water it once a week now in winter, and twice in summer if it is very hot (30ºC or more). Otherwise, you don't need to do anything 🙂, but increase the frequency of watering as the weather improves.

      Greetings.

      Ana Martinez said

    Hello, I have a small cactus for a few days and I am a little scared because it fell, I quickly put it back in its pot, my fear is that it may have been injured or it is not well placed in its pot. Nothing like that happened to him. I'll wait for your answer.

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello Ana.
      Relax, he will recover. They are stronger than they seem 🙂

      Mara said

    Hi there! I have had a mini cactus for more than a year, I water it approximately every 2 weeks and I always leave it in a place where it gets direct sunlight. He is healthy, but about 3 months ago he started to grow what appears to be a new cactus upstairs. It is normal? Is it cut or allowed to grow?

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Mara.
      It's normal, don't worry. Anyway, if you haven't changed the pot yet, I recommend doing it in spring.
      Regards!

      Luciana said

    Good afternoon, I have 3 cacti, they are small and the three are brown at the bottom, I have them on a piece of furniture, under a skylight that gives them sun but not so much since there is a tree that blocks the light a bit. I water them once a week with very little water and take them outside for 2 to 3 hours to get direct sunlight. I don't know if I'm doing it right and if that medium brown color is normal.

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello Luciana.
      I would recommend leaving it outside all year round, except in winter if there is frost.
      These plants are not used to living indoors. They get very weak.

      When you water, make sure the water comes out of the drainage holes. That is, you have to soak the whole earth well. But yes, if you have a plate under them, remove the excess water 30 minutes after watering.

      Greetings.

      Monserrath said

    Good afternoon, about a month ago they gave me a tiny cactus, it is in a clay pot and I watered it every Saturday, it is about a meter and a half from a window, today I noticed that it turned brown and is falling, what can I do do to get it back into shape? Thanks! I wait your answer

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello Monserrat.
      I recommend you put it outside, in a place with light but without direct sun. From what you count, it seems that it is burning, because of the magnifying glass effect.
      A greeting.

      susu said

    Hello, I have a wonderful collection of cacti and one of them has made a white powder on his skin but it is only color, it is not dust and it has wrinkled. And that is not because of the irrigation access because the very dry soil I water it every 15 days. and they have very good substrate for cacti and the others are making wonderful flowers ?? . See if anyone knows what happens to this cactus and how to cure it. And I also want to know how to cure a cactus that has become soft because it has not received enough sunlight and thank you very much?

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Susu.
      Where are you from? I'm asking you because if the weather is mild or warm, and it rains little, a fortnightly watering is too little.
      I would recommend you increase the frequency of it, and water by soaking all the soil well.
      A greeting.

      Mariel said

    Hi good morning! I have a mini cactus that really looks green and healthy, but its spikes are bending at the end and I don't know what could be causing it or how to fix it! I hope someone knows how to guide me! Thanks in advance

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Mariel.
      It may be that it lacks light. These plants need to be outside, and gradually get used to the sun.

      In the event that you already have it that way, it occurs to me that you may be receiving more water than you need. How often do you water it?

      By the way, have you ever changed pot? It is important to do so so that you can continue to grow strong and healthy.

      A greeting.

      PAOLA said

    Hello, good morning, I love cacti, I have some that I buy at the flea market, I left one in its flowerpot
    With what I bought, a little son has grown up next to him and he has also grown, they gave me some very nice pots and I went to buy land to change places, I have another half chubby but small and I recommend the girl who I put perlite, what I did was take my cacti out of their pots and I stirred the soil that I bought with perlite and the same soil I put them in the new pots, what I did not like is that then later the chubby cactus turned black after a few sides, the others do not, I do not understand why and I put little water, to the other plants that I have like savila, I have an elephant's foot, palemera, I only put the white substrate on them as the girl indicated, but they look normal.

    Is perlite bad for plants, since it was recommended to me ??? PLEASE HELP

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello paola.
      No, pearlite is not bad. But you have to mix it with earth, since it does not retain moisture practically nothing.

      As for watering, you have to water until you see the water coming out of the drainage holes.

      By the way, do not put them in direct sun or next to a window if they were protected, as they would burn with the sun.

      Greetings.

      Jaqueline said

    Hello, I am from Argentina, a few weeks ago I have been noticing that the cacti that I have are rotting, they begin to bend and become soft and inside they have a red color, what could it be? Unfortunately I already lost several like this in a very few days ... I have them on top of a wood in a part that does not get direct sun but they do have a lot of light. Thanks.

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Jaqueline.
      How often do you water them? If they bend, it is usually a symptom of excess watering.
      Greetings.

      Mariana lizbeth said

    Hello, good afternoon. I bought a tiny cactus about 5 days ago. It is my first cactus, it happens that from being a bright green, it became a darker green and softened. I do not know what I can do. I gave him very little water, because I just bought it and I did not know if the store had already done it, in case the doubts I only put about four drops of water. I have been placing it in the light (not directly). I don't know what I'm doing wrong, if you could help me I would be very grateful.

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Mariana.
      When you water, water so that the water runs out of the drainage holes in the pot.

      Anyway, from what you count it seems that it was watered too often. I recommend treating it with a fungicide (to prevent fungus), and not watering it for a week or so.

      A greeting.

      Laura said

    Hello!!! help!!! They gave me a nopal cactus, the point is that I had an accident with it, I accidentally crushed it but not so much. After that with sun and watering once a week I thought I was getting better. I put it in a small pot with its substrate that I brought when it was given to me, but I have noticed that it is turning yellowish mustard color with brown from the base down and it is tilting. The strange thing is that even flowers are pulling. I don't know what to do, I'm very worried, I don't want him to die. HELP!!!! The yellowish is hardly noticeable! It still has some wrinkles that were from the crushing. help!!! please!!!

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello Laura.
      It is normal that it tilted, since after the crush it must have lost strength in that part. You can put a stick on it and hold it, but boy, it is very likely that it will recover on its own, little by little.
      Greetings.

      prisci said

    Hello, my cactus has little leaves and they are becoming very dry and brown. I really don't know what its size is decreasing.
    How can I improve it?

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Prisci.
      Do you have it in direct sun? How often do you water it?
      If they had it protected from direct light, it is probably burning. And with regard to irrigation, you have to water by letting the soil dry between waterings to prevent the roots from rotting.

      If you have doubts, consult 🙂

      A greeting.

      Ángela said

    Hi there ! Sorry I have a cactus but I don't put it in the sun much, I water it every 15 days and now I see it chubby in the middle but thinner at the ends and the bottom on one side has brown lines. Help ! What I can do? I don't want him to die

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Angela.
      From what you count, your cactus needs light. That thinner growth that it has is because it is looking for a more intense light source.
      Cacti do not usually live well indoors for that reason, because the lighting that there is is not bright enough. And also not in semi-shade on the outside.

      I recommend you take it out to a brighter area, but without direct sunlight or else it will burn, and water it every time you see that the soil is completely dry.

      A greeting.

      Karla MH said

    Hola!
    They gave me a cactus, it is cylindrical in shape, but they gave it to me without a pot, just the plant and apparently it had been in these conditions for a while. The highest part is still green, downwards it is brown, it has small roots and should measure 15cm approx. Someone recommended that to revive it I put it in water, covering it completely, is this true? Is there any way to get it back?
    Thank you!

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello Karla.
      No, you should not submerge it in water as it could rot.
      It is better to plant it with soil that is able to filter the water quickly, and water it once or twice a week maximum.
      Greetings.

      magali said

    Hey.
    Excuse me as soon as my cactus turned pale yellow
    It is still small. I usually pour little water so as not to exceed it and it is in a place with sun (little)
    I don't know what to do ... I really want to save him 🙁

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Magali.
      Do you have a plate under it or in a pot without holes? If so, I recommend removing it, as standing water rots cactus roots quickly.

      If you are in the northern hemisphere, change it to a somewhat larger pot.

      Greetings.

      Mauricio said

    Hello, I have my biznaga de chilitos and the rainy seasons began and it flooded, I saw it and it is already asking for the root, is there anything I can do to improve it?

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello Mauricio.
      If the roots are already rotting, cut clean (at the bottom of the body of the cactus), let it dry for a week or ten days, and then plant it again in a pot, protected from the rains.

      Good luck!

      Miranda said

    Hello, excuse me, I bought a cactus a week ago, I watered it the same day I bought it because as the article says, I put a wooden stick on it to see if it still had water but it came out clean, so I watered it. Already this week (Sunday) he had to water and I did the same procedure of the stick and again it came out clean, on Monday it looked normal, but already dawning today (Tuesday) it began to tilt a bit and I tried to see if not It was weak and to my surprise it was like watery only from the bottom and it was normal in the rest of the cactus. When I bought it they told me to only water it once a week but I don't know what happened since the stick came out without a trace of dirt. Should I be worry?

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello Miranda.
      When you watered it, did you pour water on it until it came out of the drainage holes? Do you have a plate under it?

      I ask you because if the pot does not have holes, or if it has a plate underneath, the water remains stagnant there, at the bottom. I don't know if you pushed the stick all the way in, but I suspect that this is what happened, that perhaps the roots that are closer to the drainage holes of the pot have started to suffer damage from excess water.

      It is treated by wrapping the earth bread with absorbent paper (it can be kitchen) for one day, and the next day transferring it to a pot with holes with new earth.

      If not, write to us again.

      Regards!

      Levi Vazquez Arenas said

    Good afternoon Monica! A day ago I bought an organ cactus. Specifically, Pilosocereus pachycladus. It is the size of an outstretched hand. And I already know the nursery where I buy it. It was almost out in the open. Only more or less roofed. And those days before I bought it it rained often. I believe 2 days in a row. When I got it, the soil was very wet. Well apparently the rain touched him. And now I see it hard. As they say it must be. But the root neck Just where the earth begins. I see small sections with a somewhat dark brown color. I'm afraid it might rot. Or I don't know what I should do. It also has many stones. It totally covers the earth. They are more or less large. About the average size of an adult nail. A little less. And I wanted to know if I should remove the stones for now so that the sun hits the ground directly. I think perhaps that the stones prevent the earth from drying out. What do you recommend me?

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Levi.
      First of all, congratulations on that acquisition 🙂

      Regarding your question, yes, the ideal is to remove those stones so that the cactus breathes and so that the earth dries more easily.

      Regards!

      Ari said

    Good monica

    I bought a mammillaria cactus and recently transplanted them, I don't know if I did it correctly I removed a little soil from the roots, I was not totally afraid of damaging it, then I made a hole in the soil of the new pot and placed it.
    I do not know if the roots would be damaged or what is the correct way to place it

    Thanks and regards

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Ari.
      Do not worry. Cacti are plants that tend to withstand transplants well, even if you manipulate their roots a bit.
      Regards!

      Vivian said

    Hi there! The article seemed very interesting to me but I had a doubt, that I have several cacti, and there are two that became somewhat strange, one became black from one day to the next, but it is neither loose nor watery, it is normal but it worries me that this black guy and I don't know what to do, and the other one, which I saw as that at the base, is turning something yellow and wrinkled, but from above it is very green and pretty, and that one has been like this for a long time, so I don't know what Could it be, I would be very grateful if you would help me know what it is, that I am very worried about these two? Thank you!

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Vivian.

      How often do you water them? And what ground are they laying on?

      It is recommended that the substrate be mineral (pumice, fine gravel, ...) and that it be watered about twice a week in summer and every seven days or so the rest of the year. Besides, it is important not to put a plate under it, to prevent the roots from rotting.

      If you have questions, contact us.

      Regards!

      Begoña Cordoba said

    Hello, hey, sorry, what does it mean if my cactus comes out white drops from its spines?

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello Begoña.

      Without seeing it, I couldn't tell you. It might be nothing, but if you're overwatering it could be a sign of rot.

      Send us a photo to our Facebook and tell us how often you water it if you want.

      Greetings.

      Amy montenegro said

    Good day! I'm worried
    They gave me a Ruby Ball Graft Cactus, I have been with it for 15 days and I watered it once with very little water because I saw the dry land, only until it was moistened. However, I saw that at the roots, the skin was thin and yellowish, so I touched it and it broke very easily. You can see the inside of the cactus (a green tube in the center) and the rest empty, and humidity….

    On one side of this yellowish part there were some white spots that worried me, that's why I come to ask for advice
    I do not know whether to remove that layer or leave it as is, what do you advise me? is my cactus sick?

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Amy.
      How does the cactus follow?

      I recommend you plant it in a pot with mineral substrate, and water it little, once a week or so, until it comes out through the holes in the pot.

      Regards!

      Gisela said

    Good afternoon, I have a cactus 2 years ago in the same place, it grew a lot, but now from green it is mutating to purple. What could be the problem?
    Thank you!

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Gisela.

      From what you say, it may be that it is giving light directly now and that it is burning.

      Send us a photo if you want our facebook, and so we can help you better.

      Greetings.

      the supreme said

    Hi there! I have a problem with one of my cacti, and at this point I don't know what to do and I can't identify the problem.

    A month ago I had to cut it because it had grown too big and the tip had turned black, so I made a cut to where I found that there was no more rot and left it to heal with cinnamon powder, away from direct light and without water. It healed without problems and for 8-9 days I did not water it; But from a time to this part it began to show white spots, to wrinkle and to show dark tips with some black spots as if it had an insect, but no plague that I could identify.

    I don't know if I did well, but I used horsetail water thinking it might be some fungus, and I wanted to see if it improved. I don't see any improvement and I don't know what else I can do.

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Gorena.

      First of all, I recommend planting it in a pot with holes, and small-grained gravel sand, 1-3mm thick (in any store where they sell construction products you will find bags of about 25kg for 1 euro or less). Pumice or akadama will also work. If you can't get it, then mix equal parts peat (or universal substrate) with perlite.

      I suspect it has bad roots, so it is important that they can dry out a bit. Don't put a plate under it.

      And then wait. I hope it improves. Lucky!

      Jose said

    I have a question, my cactus has somewhat soft spikes but the stem is strong and has no spots. What does it mean?

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello Jose.

      Their spines might be like this, but in order to better help you I would need to see a picture of the plant. If you want, get in touch through our facebook.

      Greetings.

      Nerea said

    Hello, I have been with my cactus for 2 years and it is very young, it is about 7 cm. Now the bottom is getting a little yellow and wrinkled and the top (most of it) seems to be a little softer than normal. The substrate is good and the light is what the sky allows, which has been cloudy all month. Do you think that if I do not water it in a good time it can be saved?

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Nerea.

      Yes, it is possible, but first it is important to know how often you water. That is, if you water every time the soil is dry, then if the plant stops receiving water, it will dry up. But, if you pour water on it frequently, and now temporarily suspend watering, it can do well for the cactus.

      On the other hand, if the pot has never been changed, it is highly recommended to plant it in another that is about 3-4 centimeters in diameter wider and deeper.

      Greetings.

      Cristina said

    My cactus has become soft and dark and is now expelling a little liquid like yellowish water. The problem is that I do not know if it is due to lack of irrigation or excess irrigation. How can I know to try to save it?

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello Cristina.

      From what you count, it seems that too much has been watered, or that it has received too much water.

      We recommend you treat it with fungicide, and change the soil for pumice, akadama or similar.

      Greetings.

      July said

    Recently an opuntia microdasys fell off, I saw the stem and it was rotten, I think I overdid it with watering

      ferney arturo cadavid london said

    super tips to take care of the catus a thousand thanks happy day

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Ferney.

      Thank you very much for leaving us your opinion. Greetings!

      Then said

    Hello, I have a cactus? that I love lately, black dots are coming out on each of his little arms and I don't know what to do! I am very afraid that I will die.
    What can I do to cure it?

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello dan.

      How often do you water it? I'm asking you because it might be overwatering, or even burns.

      You always have to wait for the soil to dry before watering again, and if it is indoors, avoid putting it right in front of the window so that it does not burn.

      Greetings.

      Irma Miranda said

    Hi!! My cactus has turned red and brown in color. What can I do to make it green again and its flowers bloom? (It is one of the cacti that grow flowers) ????

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Irma.

      If it has changed color, that area will no longer be green.

      Does the sun shine directly on you or through a window? If so, it is better that it is protected, because from what you count it seems that it is burning.

      Regards!

      America miranda said

    Hello, I have a brain cactus, it is small but I see that it looks less green, more brown in its entirety, and I do not know if it is normal due to the density of thorns or if it is drying or dying. I had it in my room for a couple of months, and then I put it in a place with a little more sun.
    Can I still save it? What do I do? 🙁

         Monica sanchez said

      Hey.
      It is surely burning from the sun. It is better to put it in an area with a lot of light, and accustom it to direct sun but very little by little, exposing it to the sun's rays in the early morning or late afternoon, for a maximum of an hour. As the weeks go by, the exposure time has to be increased by 30-60 minutes.
      Greetings.

      Delphi said

    Hello!! I have a problem with one of my cacti, I have had them in a pot for a long time, they are several cacti of different shapes, they all grow well and I never had problems before but I recently noticed that one of them is wrinkling a part of it at the root, it is The only one things have happened to him, the others are fine .. first I noticed that he grew up he had two outbreaks, after a while one outbreak got very small and the other one did grow, hence the same size, now last I see that one part from the root is wrinkling .. why? And will he recover or not? Thanks and regards

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello Delfi.

      Although the compositions are very beautiful, it is better that each plant is in its own pot. It is that if a sick person or catches a plague, it is very easy for the others to become infected.

      Therefore, my advice is that you separate them, or at least remove the cactus that is bad and plant it in a pot just in case. From what you can tell, it seems that you have suffered from excess water, and if so, the fungi will not take long to harm you.

      Greetings.

      Daniel said

    Hi good day.
    My prickly biznaga has a medium brown color on the tips and other half worn. I don't know why it is. It is not in the whole plant as such, only in some parts.
    If you could tell me why you have this and how to fix it.
    Thank you

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello Daniel.

      Have you noticed if the cactus is soft? If so, it is that it is watering too much.

      Does the sun give you more on one side? If this is the case, I recommend you put it in an area where it can be hit directly by everything.

      If you prefer, send us a photo of your plant to our facebook and we will help you better.

      Greetings.

      laura said

    Hello, my cactus is starting to wrinkle, what do I do? I would very much like him to survive.
    Thank you.

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello Laura.

      When a cactus wrinkles it may be because it is being watered too much, or on the contrary, too little.
      If you touch it, does it feel soft, or is it hard? In the first case, it is that it has a lot of water; in the second epoch.

      To help him, you might want to stop watering and put in new soil if he's drowning, or water more often if he's thirsty.

      Greetings.

      Claudia said

    Hello, I have a cactus, it rained a lot and I left it wet a lot, the tips are dry, brown like very dry, they tell me to cut them, I do it, that's convenient

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Claudia.

      Yes, you can cut them, but cover the wounds if you can with (wood) ash, or with healing paste.

      Greetings.

      Diego said

    Hello, I have a doubt, my captus is a 5cm peanut but it is half dark on one side and not on the other and the truth is, I no longer know if it is rotting or what, what it may have.

    Postscript: it's dark only on the side that the sun shines

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Diego.

      If it is dark only on the side facing the sun, it is because it is burning.
      My advice is to protect it a bit from direct light to prevent it from getting worse. On this article You have information on how to accustom cacti to the sun.

      Greetings.

      Brenda martinez said

    Hello good morning, I have a small cactus and it is wrinkling and darkening at the base and it is also falling off, but from above it still grows, Do you know what it may have? (I water it every 15 days with a spray bottle)

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Brenda.
      My advice is to stop spraying it, as it may not get the amount of water it needs.
      You have to water by wetting the soil, always, and pouring water until it is well soaked.
      Greetings.

      yoselin cortez said

    my cactus has bent spines.

         Monica sanchez said

      Hi Yoselin.

      It may have been watered too much. Do you feel soft to the touch?