Expert: Greg Simpson - 4/8/2006

Question
I have a rather tall cactus, 6 feet, that has a cruciform shape and spines about 3 to 4 inches apart. The spines are short and appear in a 5 star like shape. It had 4 'arms' growing from a large central base. It now has only 2. The other 2 died within days of each other and are very dry and black. One had a 2 foot section at the top which was still green, so I removed it for transplantin if possible. Today one of the remaining sections is leaning. Any ideas of what to do?

Answer
Dear Darryl,

It sounds to me like your cactus is rotting from the base, especially since there are sections at the top that are OK. Too much water or very cold temps can cause the kind of damage you are describing. If the main stem is OK, then cut back on watering to see if your plant will survive or continue to rot. If it is just the arms that are involved, your main stem may be alright, however that is usually not the case.

Depending on the type of cactus you have, it can be readily propagated by cuttings. However, do not use the same soil that your current plant is in, just in case there is a fungus or bacteria in the soil that might be causing the current plant to die. Let the cuttings dry for at least a couple of weeks before planting. Plant it about 3 or 4 inches into the soil and dampen the soil, then don't water again until the soil is dry.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

Sincerely,

Greg