6

My beloved fairy castles cactus has been suffering for a while and I was wondering what could be happening now.

It looks like having several different problems... specially worried as it looks fragile all over, with those remarkables dark areas at the tops...

Hope anybody can help :)

With flash With natural light

enter image description here

enter image description here

user21392
  • 61
  • 1
  • 5

1 Answers1

1

If the coloring in this picture is close to natural then I see a less than vigorous plant that is in need of chemistry (nutrients) necessary with which to do photosynthesis to make its own food/energy. Have you given this plant any balanced fertilizer at all? If so what and when?

The other issue is the amount of light. What is the light source for your cactus? What window? Is your cactus indoors all of the time? Is out of doors some of the time?

This might have been better as a 'comment', they'll let me know. Please give us a bit more info about this plant's normal environment, the plant zone you live within, fertilizer, type of soil, have you taken it out of doors for a sun bath? Need to know the amount of light this guy gets on a regular basis in its regular spot.

stormy
  • 40,098
  • 3
  • 31
  • 75
  • Thanks for your reply, @stormy Well, lately it's all been kind of a mess I'm affraid. I'll tell you the long story. Like 3 months ago I had the brilliant idea to transplant it to another pot (yeah, in January) watering it and the like. The result, 2 weeks later found an arm had fallen, later found out it was due to be rottening. So after making my best (probably not to brilliantly) to save it, losing close to half the plant, then I was affraid to water it too much. Actually read it's better to lack water than the opposite so... but now is watered anyway, at least since a month ago. – user21392 Apr 21 '18 at 15:23
  • But aspect is not good though, I don't see clear signs of recovery. Also: this plant is now a 3-year old one, always been inside, close to a window, in a plastic pot, with no fertilizer at all. What DOES change (again for worse) is the window orientation: before last october it was normally receiving about 2 hours of morning sun (9am to 11am or so), now unfortunately it has to resign to a couple of 5pm-7pm (when available: weather has been horrible lately, proper spring just started like a week ago here in Spain!) – user21392 Apr 21 '18 at 15:29
  • I guess using some fertilizer next time I water it might be good. And also I may... lend it to a partner to place it in a S-E facing window or even outside... at least temporarily and now that is the best period. I added another picture with natural light (the other one was taken at night using flash), but signs are not clear, probably I'm not good with photos either XD :_( – user21392 Apr 21 '18 at 15:31
  • Transplanting an indoor plant in January is just fine, maybe a perfect time. Even indoor plants understand that the shortening of day light hours mean dormancy, nap time? If you have never given this plant fertilizer, that right there will solve your problems. Use OSMOCOTE 14-14-14 extended release. Use half of what the directions tell you and only half of the applications. This should turn your cactus around as well as more light. But moving a plant to a new location could be tricky. Do you not have a south facing window? Don't put in direct sunlight but nearby ...kitchen counter? – stormy Apr 21 '18 at 23:41
  • The sun in Spain (you lucky dog you!) should give you some well lighted areas in your home, yes? Lending it to a friend might not be the best idea. Certainly do not put this plant out of doors in the sun! That would kill it...truly...sunburn! If there is a covered patio then that would be perfect. Ambient light from the sun out of doors is far stronger than that coming through a window in the house, and you don't have to acclimate an indoor plant to the out of doors if you have a covered patio. I take all my house plants out on a covered porch or patio every summer. – stormy Apr 21 '18 at 23:47
  • Did I not just read that Spain just got snow? Is that normal or very very rare? For this plant, adding the extended release Osmocote fertilizer with a south facing window light source, is all it needs to be healthy and happy. When you transplanted it, you watered it too much. Normal for cactus and succulents who have leaves that store water. Too much water for these shallow rooted plants will cause rot and die off of branches. You used potting soil, yes? – stormy Apr 21 '18 at 23:51
  • Hi stormy. Yes I used potting soil, however not sure if its quality, I mean what I purchased is a "universal potting soil" if that makes sense in English. Anyway is a bit weird for me, doesn't feel the same as other when touched. But Ok, for now I just added fertilizer and now I keep fingers crossed! Would be hard to believe for me if it recovers its original beauty, let's see. And for now I guess I'll keep its current location, as this N-W window gets plenty of light anyway, and those couple of hours of sun. I'll keep an eye and see its evolution the following days! – user21392 Apr 25 '18 at 10:12
  • Don't have neither any covered patio or the like, nor S/E facing windows. And yes, I think about 2-3 weeks ago we had a huge snow! (huge for Spain in April) weather has been really crazy XD thanks dude. – user21392 Apr 25 '18 at 10:14
  • I am a dudette...grins! I think your plant will recover; it has light, a LITTLE moisture and with a little BALANCED fertilizer it most certainly recover some vigor. No patio in Spain? Gosh what a world, huh? Potting soil has very little if any actual 'soil' incorporated. It has been sterilized. Sterilization. Great drainage with the artificial medium mixture...critical for any plant planted in a pot. Garden soil works in the large body of a garden but never in pots...all our gardening is artificial and we are in charge! – stormy Apr 25 '18 at 11:34
  • Hi stormy. For now my plant doesn't seem to be improving. I guess I have to wait. Anyway I'd like to ask a question, didn't think it may be important before but who knows. I noticed drainage water is really dark (dark brown I'd say), this has been happening before fertilizing till now. Do you have a clue about what this may be about? I tried to look for info on this but didn't find anything :S guess it's the soil? But no other plant releases such dark drainage water... – user21392 May 03 '18 at 13:37
  • 1
    Most potting soil is a mixture of non soil ingredients...like peat moss...which will, for a while at the beginning, turn the drainage water brown. Get some pieces of tile about 1/4 inch thick and lift the bottom of your pot off the saucer surface. You should not be watering so deeply until your plant grows better roots and is more established. Its roots are only an inch from the surface. Cactus roots are meant to grow shallow so watering only the surface right now makes sense. The rest of the soil stays wet and harbors fungus...and stuff. Still too much water I think. have patience. – stormy May 03 '18 at 22:23
  • 1
    Hi stormy! Long time no see :) just came back because the plant isn't improving but worsening actually. Looks even drier, thiner and weaker, though I obviously water it and meticulously fertilize. – user21392 Jun 16 '18 at 11:33
  • It's receiving the before-evening sun, not a lot I guess, but as it looks drier, should I keep it from it completely? Before all these problems it just received like one hour sun in the early morning and looked gorgeous. – user21392 Jun 16 '18 at 11:36
  • Anyway, though I guess it's not related with sun (this problem came before) arms keep falling and I even need to help it keep "vertical" using sticks. Recently I started to think I may need to trim them? :S or even the plant might be really dead... – user21392 Jun 16 '18 at 11:39
  • I'll add a couple of pictures more, with real natural light. Would really appreciate your views on this! – user21392 Jun 16 '18 at 11:39
  • Thank you! Not good. You might be overwatering and over fertilizing. Let's figure this out so that, sigh, when you get a new plant, this will not happen. I don't think this guy will make it. I might be interested in cloning the parts that are still alive? Too much water, not enough light for the amount of fertilizer...plants have to have light to be able to do photosynthesis and just the right amount of fertilizer to add the chemistry necessary to do photosynthesis. Too much fertilizer especially for plants in low light will be too much chemistry for what little photosynthesis happening – stormy Jun 17 '18 at 00:09
  • This is very much a low light situation, same with lawns growing in the shade. The grass growing in the shade has to have less fertilizer applied than the grass in the sun. Or the plant grows thinner, longer, wider leaves in an effort to collect more light. Unhealthy, stressed plants that are in the shade with a little too much chemistry in the soil. Could you pop that cactus out of the pot and take a picture of the roots? I think you are looking at a funeral. I am sorry. – stormy Jun 17 '18 at 00:14
  • "You might be overwatering and over fertilizing" - delete "might". The best rule of thumb for this sort of cactus is to give it a hard life. NO WATER AT ALL for 6 months over winter, then a really good soak when you see some signs of growth in spring, then a good soak about once a month (NOT a little dribble of water every day!!!) Give it some feed at the first watering of the year ONLY. If you just left it in full sun for 2 or 3 years with no water at all, you probably wouldn't kill it (but of course it wouldn't grow any bigger during that time). – alephzero Jun 17 '18 at 08:32
  • If it is falling apart because the inside of the plant is rotten (look at the pieces that fall off), the best thing to do is throw it away. You could try taking a cutting from the top half of a stem. Cut with a sharp sterilized knife (preferably a scalpel or razor blade, not a thick kitchen knife), cover the cut surface with flowers of sulphur, re-pot it in almost pure sand (horticultural sand, NOT builder's sand!) and DON'T WATER IT until it looks like it is trying to start to grow (that may take several weeks). – alephzero Jun 17 '18 at 08:38
  • Back the truck up Alephzero. Where does this 'give this cactus a hard life with no water at all for 6 months'!!? come from? People do best ignoring their indoor plants because most people kill by caring too much but certainly not making a sport out of denying this cactus any water for...? Not a dribble of water a day, huh? Guess that will snap him into shape? Grins, I am being very snide right now sweetie. Plants grow best when their owner understands their needs, their needs born from millions of years in the making. Sounds like torture. Whaaaaee! No water? – stormy Jun 18 '18 at 06:53