| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
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| Barrel Cactus Base is Browning!? | 10/6/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I have what I think is a barrel cactus that was given to me as a gift. Recently the base has ...
A: James, Browning sometimes occurs when a cactus ages. However, yours may be caused by rot. One way ...
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| base is cracked!! | 10/5/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: The base of my 10ft tall cactus is cracking upward. What can i do to stop it and is it killing it?
A: Phil, Actually what you are seeing is normal. As cacti age, they produce wood, just like a tree at ...
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| Mammillaria polythele turning yellow & wrinkly | 10/5/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I have a small (6" tall) Mammillaria polythele. For some reason, it is not the deep, dark green ...
A: Tom, Judging from some of the photos at this website: ...
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| golden barrel cactus | 10/3/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: All four of my golden barrels put out puppies last summer. Some of these puppies have grown quite ...
A: Judy, Yes, in your instance, extra water will help. I water my cactus garden with a lawn sprinkler. ...
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| Shriveling Cactus | 10/3/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I've had a cactus for about a year and it is very, very slowly shriveling up. Many of the needles ...
A: Eric, Actually, you are severely under watering it. In general, most cacti need to be watered well ...
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| indoor cactus | 10/3/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: ok my little cactus was doing fine all year and then the other day i looked at it and it was like ...
A: Stephanie, Generally, what you are describing is rot. That can be caused by a number of factors, ...
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| cactus | 10/3/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: the top part has - or rather had- little bulbs of red that looked like little cactus on it and my ...
A: Mouse, Unfortunately not. The reason they are red is because they have no chlorophyll in them. ...
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| black beetles agave cactus | 10/2/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I recently started cleaning out my cactus garden, eliminating some cacti so as to replant others and ...
A: Michelle, Fortunately, they only like Agave (and Yucca). Take a look at this web page on how to ...
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| Cactus & Crown of Thorns | 10/1/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I inherited several plants when my mother passed away. One was a crown of thorns. Everything was ...
A: Sheri, You can try to make some cuttings from your "crown of thorns", just make sure you make the ...
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| crown of thorns bush | 10/1/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: We have crown of thorns (5 ft high) in pot. Needs repotting. Can plant live outdoors in winter In ...
A: Lois, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. No, that plant will not survive in southern ...
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| Dead cactus | 10/1/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I have a very very tall thin cactus. It appears to be dry and dying from the bottom but the top is ...
A: Lynn, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Make a cut about 2 inches above where the cactus ...
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| golden barrel cactus | 9/30/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: All four of my golden barrels put out puppies last summer. Some of these puppies have grown quite ...
A: Judy, There must be a problem with the main plant, and it is not the pups. Usually barrel cactus ...
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| totem pole cactus with black holes | 9/29/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: We just returned from three weeks away and our in ground totem poles (3 feet high) have black holes ...
A: Ann, I believe your diagnosis is correct (maybe a Gila woodpecker starting a nesting site), however ...
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| fallling cactus | 9/28/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I recently planted three cacti in a six inch standard terra cotta pot. There is one cactus (3" H) ...
A: Wayne, That depends, is it bending over or is it falling over? If is bending over, that means one ...
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| CACTUS TRAGEDY | 9/27/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I live in Tennessee and have a 7.5 foot cactus I have cared for the past 8 years. During the ...
A: Cedric, I just had the same thing happen to one of mine (broke in 2 places. I let them sit out for ...
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| saguaro cactus | 9/26/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: The top of my 20 ft high saguaro is leaning at 45 deg. angle and splitting on the opposite side. For ...
A: Bill, I'm not sure about the weight other than to say imagine a watermelon that size with spines. A ...
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| sick Aloe vera | 9/26/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I recently saved an aloe plant from my roomate who was killing it. Its leaves and parts that do not ...
A: Kaeleigh, Sounds like your doing a good job already. Try adding some fertilizer (Superthrive is my ...
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| Indoor light for cactus | 9/25/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I have a large (3 feet tall with many pipes) cactus that I've had for 20 years. I'm wondering ...
A: Maisoui, Cacti do not make good indoor plants, as the lack of intense light changes their ...
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| Paddle cactus care | 9/25/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: The leaves are shriveling, becoming limp. It is getting filtered light, southern exposure. Perhaps ...
A: Becky, If you are watering when the soil has dried out, then you are ok. However, if the soil is ...
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| Catus spines | 9/24/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: How long does it take to grow a spine on a large cactus?
A: Izzy, That depends on the cactus and some are spineless. Spines grow initially from the apex of the ...
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| milky white substance from cactus | 9/24/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: Yesterday I cut down my cactus which emitted a milky white substance. This substance sprayed onto my ...
A: Linda, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. What you have is a Euphorbia, not a cactus. ...
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| black spots on aloes | 9/24/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: i have various aloes growing outside, sandy soil, getting moderate water........my tree aloes have ...
A: Gillian, Most likely it is an insect. There are some insecticides that may work, however some can ...
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| miniature cacti | 9/24/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I bought a miniature cacti for my son and one of the shoots fell off. He's only six and a bit ...
A: Bernadette, I do know as I have 6 kids myself. Anyway, it may grow back, just not from the same ...
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| follows | 9/23/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I started a cactus in a dish garden over 20 years ago. It was about 4" and in a shallow dish. When ...
A: Robert, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. There may be a couple of reason for your plants ...
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| Christmas cactus | 9/23/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: Recently obtained a mature Christmas cactus; while on the shaded porch the cactus leaves became ...
A: Victor, More than likely, you plant was attacked by an insect that is similar to a mosquito in that ...
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| aloe vera | 9/23/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: i just had a question regarding aloe Vera plants. How come the gel in my plants leaves is ...
A: Dustin, It may be due to a very hot summer. If you live in the Phoenix area, we just had one of out ...
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| My sick cactus | 9/22/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: Greg- I grew my prickly pear from seed about 3 years ago and it has been doing well. Recently I ...
A: Lisa, It is either mealy bugs or scaring from damage from a juice sucking bug. If it is mealy ...
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| Spineless Prickly Pear Rot? | 9/22/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: We have had an extremely, wet summer here in San Antonio, not to mention I had to water extra for ...
A: Jeff, You most likely will need to break off some pads (just in case the main plants do not ...
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| cactus turned yellow and a part exploded... | 9/20/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I left my cactus at home when I left for holidays. when I came back it turned yellow (not enough ...
A: Dobbie, It sounds like your plant has rotted. If I knew what type of cactus it was, I might be able ...
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| A Lophocereus catus | 9/20/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I have a Lophocereus cactus it now 18 feet tall !! I can not bring it in the house no more it is to ...
A: Vickie, The only thing you can do is to cut it back (if you want to keep it). The only other option ...
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| totem pole cactus | 9/19/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I have 2 questions: 1. I have a three foot totem pole that looks kind of wrinkly, It gets full sun ...
A: Bob, Chances are the one that is wrinkling up has some root damage, and it is either rotting or ...
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| Sick cactus needs help | 9/18/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I have a large cactus, it is about eight feet. I got it from a friend who had it for 15 years. I ...
A: Judit, Replanting if there is something wrong can make it worse because the plant will go into ...
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| Red Moon Cactus Replanting Question | 9/18/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I have a Red Moon Cactus that has an appendage growing out of the side of the stem. It has grown ...
A: Tara, You can, just cut it off and let it "heal" for about a week. Then replant it about 1 to 2 ...
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| Clipping Aloe Sprouts. | 9/17/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I saw a post someone had put up asking about clipping and trimming their aloes, now my aloe has ...
A: William, The best time would be when the plant is actively growing. If yours are dormant or going ...
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| house plant cactus leans | 9/17/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I have a cactus that is 23 years old. It stands about 9" high. For many years it has grown ...
A: Sherry, Sherry, I'm not sure why it would grow away from the window, unless the window is open and ...
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| mexican fence post | 9/16/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I have just moved into a home with beautiful cacti that i have no idea to care for. The 10 ...
A: Teri, Water every day is not good. Just to give you a frame of reference, a Mexican fence post ...
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| arm broke on cactus and have question on your suggestion | 9/14/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: Greg, I have a cactus that has a broken arm. I’ve read some of your suggestion and have a few more ...
A: Ken, The broken end will scab over and become hard. Once that happens which can take 2 weeks or ...
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| sad succulent | 9/13/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: Hey Greg, I've just recently gotten into succulents. About a week ago, I bought a little Rosette ...
A: Alex, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, as I have been traveling. It sounds like over ...
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| Cactus "Orange Top" | 9/13/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I have an Orange Top Cactus that is shriveling up. The base of the cactus has turned yellow and is ...
A: Melissa, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, as I have been traveling. Unfortunately there ...
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| Cactus | 9/13/2007 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I have a cactus that is 8 foot tall, I would like to know the name of it, also it had come to a ...
A: Dorothy, You really only have 2 options, you need to move the plant again out away from the house ...
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