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I left the country for two and a half months and left my cactus in the care of a friend. When I came back, apparently he had been leaving it under a desk lamp and not by the window to get enough sunlight (his room is very dark). He watered it with a splash of water and cactus food once a week, so that’s fine.

Now my cactus I’ve raised for three years went from having a healthy thick green stem to yellowing almost entirely. It feels thin and weak, and the top bends when I press it. Only two green arms are left on the sides. Is my cactus redeemable if I put it back under my pink lights at home, or should I cut and replant the remaining green arms before they rot too?

Yellowing cactus

Ryan
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  • You call it yellowing, but this looks like dead (brown/black) material. Is it soft or hard? Either way, it will not revive anymore. But the green parts can be saved, you can make cuttings. – benn Jan 28 '21 at 21:21
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    Water and fertilizer each week seems excessive. – blacksmith37 Jan 29 '21 at 01:13
  • I usually watered it every two weeks, but he watered with a tablespoon of water and a drop of plant food. I wouldn’t think that would kill it. – Ryan Jan 29 '21 at 10:48
  • @benn it’s soft on top. Perhaps I should cut the green like you said, but I’ve never cut a cactus before. Do you have any recommended approaches? – Ryan Jan 29 '21 at 10:49
  • When soft, it means rot and that will spread to healthy green parts soon. So saving the green parts by cutting is the best solution. You can use a sharp knife and try to cut in only healthy green (don't take any brown rot with it). Use a small cloth (or handkerchief) to prevent hurting yourself on the spines... The wound (callus) should dry first before putting it in soil (usually 1-2 weeks). Good luck! – benn Jan 29 '21 at 15:52

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