About Greg Simpson Expertise I can answer questions regarding planting, transplanting, care, propagating, identification and general information. The questions can be about cacti and other succulents from North and South America and Africa.
Experience Collecting cactus and succulents since 1974.
Question I live in Tennessee and have a 7.5 foot cactus I have cared
for the past 8 years. During the winter, I keep it in the
garage and transport it to the porch in the summer. Last
night, a strong wind blew it off the porch and damaged it
severely. It is cracked in several places and has a deep
gash in a spot about 2 feet from the root, which has already turned black. Is there any hope of saving it?
I hate to discard it after so many years and so many
compliments, but as huge as it is, I wonder if the effort
to upright and store it during the winter is worthwhile.
Answer Cedric,
I just had the same thing happen to one of mine (broke in 2 places. I let them sit out for 2 weeks to "heal", then planted them in dirt. They should root and be OK. If you main stem that is still in the pot is turning black, cut the black parts off and let it heal, do not water it. After a couple of weeks, it should look the same color, just hard to the touch. If everything is OK, it should branch from just below the break and continue to grow. Good luck!
