posted
I have one of those tall thin cactuses. I've had it for a year and it has seemed to survive, if not thrive on my system of benigh neglect. I think I may have overdone that a bit.
A couple of months ago I moved it to a thin cd stand that was more in the middle of things but also got more sunlight than it's previous location. It's fallen a couple of times, but never seriously enough to hurt it. Tonight, it fell seriously.
The there's a break in the new growth at the top, about a quarter of an inch deep that looks like someone cut into the cactus. The older growth is... bent with stress lines all along where it had to bend.
I've taped the break together in the hope it will grow back together, but the cactus has a very pronounced tilt now, and I don't know if it can survive this latest crisis. I can't find any instructions online for how to deal with this. Does anyone have any experience with broken cactuses and know what to do? I'd really appreciate any help, my boyfriend gave it to me and I really don't want to kill it.
Posts: 4655 | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
Eh, cactuses are pretty tough, I would imagine. If there are any offshoots - you may have the wrong kind of cactus for this - you might want to chop one off and re-plant elsewhere, to serve as a backup. If the gluey skin is broken, the cactus will probably form some sort of scar tissue; in its natural environment, having its innards open to permit water to evaporate would be utter disaster, akin to a cut in a major blood vessel for a human.
<-- Knows absolutely nothing about the subject.
Posts: 10645 | Registered: Jul 2004
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A cactus in the wild that gets breaks in it from woodpeckers, animals, storms, whatever does indeed scar over. Give it some extra TLC for a month or so and I bet it'll survive. And move it to somewhere where it won't fall again while it's healing.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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No problemo. Got a bunch of them outside, and occasionally one gets busted or knocked down. The broken-off piece falls on the soil, roots, and several new cacti start sprouting vertically. The original just continues growing.
Posts: 8501 | Registered: Jul 2001
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I thought in terms of Feng Shui, cacti were primarily thought poorly of in the bedroom, but not other areas. Also, I know I've read about them being used to counter radiating energy from modern day appliances as well... I believe the justification is that cactus plants tend to absorb any energy in a given area (be it water or fire), so they're only to be used in places of excess.
In any case, I don't think I would try to mend the cactus if it truly broke, I don't think grafting is an ability cacti have. Simply stick the broken half in some soil, and keep it particularly moist for about a month. It very well could live in such conditions. The main plant, odds are you will no longer have a single spine cactus. It's probably going to grow at least one "arm" just below the break point, possible more.
I've had cacti that have been exposed to roots, left on a concrete patio for a month over winter, forgotten, found, replanted, and continued growing quite happily. Another got about a foot knocked off the largest limb, which sat on the ground for many an Arizona month until it was stuck upright. I don't think that piece is going to make it, but it managed three off-shoots before it started looking ill. Yes, for plants that are liable to receive intermittent care, can't go too wrong with a cactus.
Posts: 1368 | Registered: Sep 2002
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Huh? What's a "wookie"? (Do I want to know?)
Another question to all you "botanics" round here : I found tiny worms in the earth of my ficus benjamini. They look like 2mm long wriggling pieces of white sewing thread, nearly invisible. I already tried to get rid of them by not watering the earth, but they "relived" as soon as I had to water again for the sake of the ficus. Then I experiented a bit: I made tabac-"tea" to poison the worms with (cold)nicotine-broth. You can guess, they survived.
Actually I thought, the nicotine would poison the ficus, too, so its growth would be hampered for some time. I know, this sounds brutal, but the ficus already seemed to be dying, and I thought the worms to be the cause, so there was nothing to lose anymore.
This all happened three weeks ago, and the ficus never grew better than now! I wonder whether I accidentally fertilized the earth with the tabac? Is that possible? Am I supposed to fight the worms at all? I mean, if they don't wriggle, I can't even see them...
Posts: 262 | Registered: Feb 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Architraz Warden: In any case, I don't think I would try to mend the cactus if it truly broke, I don't think grafting is an ability cacti have.
It didn't break all the way through, it just looks like it has a cut in it, if that makes sense. So I put the tape on it hoping it would work sort of like a bandaid on a human.
Posts: 4655 | Registered: Jan 2002
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quote:Originally posted by blacwolve: It didn't break all the way through, it just looks like it has a cut in it, if that makes sense. So I put the tape on it hoping it would work sort of like a bandaid on a human.
Alright, in that case it should certainly be fine. Few cacti make it through life without suffering numerous divets. Odds are that if it doesn't heal back to normal, it will turn light brown, and then harden into a dry shell. This would be the healthier scar to have. If it turns black or looks moist, extra measures may be needed (For saguaros the remedy is to scrape down to the healthy cactus with a spoon and then brush the entire area with bleach. I'm not sure if this is recommended for smaller varieties though).
quote:I'd really appreciate any help, my boyfriend gave it to me and I really don't want to kill it.
The last movie I saw is called Imagine Me and You. In one scene, a guy is looking for his 'last chance' flower. The florist suggests something sensible. The guy goes outside and says the cactus is perfect. The story doesn't focus on him, but the viewer gets the feeling that he blew his last chance. Thanks for the reminder, blacwolve.
I hope your cactus is okay. sounds like it will be.
Posts: 1056 | Registered: Mar 2002
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