Expert: Jeff - 4/5/2004

Question
I have a small, ball shaped cactus.  It has been doing great the last 2 years I have had it, but now something is wrong.  It is still dark green all over and its spines are great, but is shrinking and wrinkling up very quickly.  I water it twice a month and it is in a sun-lit area. What is wrong?

Answer
Dear Fred,

You need to water more - 2x a month, particularly in the growth season (Spring-Summer for most species) is not enough. Water when the soil is dry, and completely water it then.

You also might wish to check to see if it needs repotting.

Let me know if you need more information.

Kind regards,

Jeff