|
 fireworks_god
SexyButt McDanger
Registered: 03/12/02
Posts: 24,199
Loc: Red Panda Village
Last seen: 11 hours, 42 minutes
|
 Help With Diagnosis 
#16261632 - 05/21/12 08:35 AM (1 year, 4 days ago) |
|
|
Hello everyone, I'm writing with a problem that we're having with our Peruvian torch. Last spring we transplanted it, put it in regular cactus soil, put it out on the balcony come warm temps and it saw it's best year of growth yet... brought it back inside for the winter. Haven't had any problems with it, but now we put it back outside and now it looks like part of it has been scraped or worn away near the base, and a considerable area around that has become discolored. All of this change, the color, that spot, literally showed up in less than a week. It's been brought outside, the weather had gotten colder the last couple of days as it was pretty rainy, although it never got rained on directly... Any ideas on what the problem could be? Any input is greatly appreciated, thanks! 
--------------------
  
 
If I should die this very moment
I wouldn't fear
For I've never known completeness
Like being here
Wrapped in the warmth of you
Loving every breath of you
  
 
|
 Mufungo
Coming at ya
Registered: 04/03/07
Posts: 2,637
Loc: Knowhere
|
|
Has it been cold enough to freeze?
That's a lot of weight for the skinny base. I'd be chopping about a foot off the top and replant it. Then you'll have two plants and the base might very well throw out some pups for you (if it doesn't have anything seriously wrong with it). In the right conditions the replanted top bit will grow nice and fat. The skinny bit won't be able to support the weight if it keeps growing like it has been.
|
fireworks_god
SexyButt McDanger
Registered: 03/12/02
Posts: 24,199
Loc: Red Panda Village
Last seen: 11 hours, 42 minutes
|
 Re: Help With Diagnosis [Re: Mufungo]
#16261826 - 05/21/12 10:39 AM (1 year, 4 days ago) |
|
|
Nope, it hasn't gotten colder than probably 10°C/50°F. Interesting about the need to cut the top off and replant it; we were figuring this might be necessary to save the whole thing considering how bad this stuff at the base and all that discoloring is. On another note, it doesn't get watered very frequently, especially during winter... once every few weeks I suppose and a bit more frequently during the summer. Last time it got watered, when it was put outside, it got a bit of GH FloraGrow to send it off into the season. Could that be responsible? It's not the first time we've given it nutrients like that though, probably once or twice a year...
--------------------
If I should die this very moment
I wouldn't fear
For I've never known completeness
Like being here
Wrapped in the warmth of you
Loving every breath of you
|
Mufungo
Coming at ya
Registered: 04/03/07
Posts: 2,637
Loc: Knowhere
|
|
10 degrees ain't that cold I suppose, as long as there hasn't been any frost. But ya said it didn't get wet, so probably not the weather. The fertiliser may well be the culprit. It does seem to be traveling up from the base, is that right? A close up pic might help diagnosis. Is it soft or hard-rough to the touch? Is it showing up through/around the areolae or am I just imagining things?
--------------------
|
ferrel_human
cactus fucker
Registered: 06/26/09
Posts: 6,561
|
Re: Help With Diagnosis [Re: Mufungo]
#16262269 - 05/21/12 12:55 PM (1 year, 4 days ago) |
|
|
that thing needs more light for sure. those scars dont look like to much damage has been done.
i have a horribly disfigured bridgesii that has worse scars than that.
i say leave it alone, warm it up, and dont water it til the soil is bone dry or spring time.
|
savage.renegade
Registered: 07/02/10
Posts: 984
Loc: Bay area
|
|
Is the base yellow reddish? maybe sunburn a little if you put it out in full sun right away after being dormant with no sun.
I've done this with dragonfruit cactus but they seem to be a bit more sensitive.
After dormancy or any plant that as been shipped to me I like to acclimate them to the sun by putting them in a shadier spot and then moving them further into the sun slowly.
I think your cactus will be fine. I personally would probably cut the top off and root that since it is growing season.
--------------------
  My first brigdesii seedling
|
passifloracaerulea
glass miner
Registered: 11/13/10
Posts: 4,131
Loc: oregon coast
|
|
yeah, i'd make 3-4 cuttings and get them out of that corner.
--------------------
|
fireworks_god
SexyButt McDanger
Registered: 03/12/02
Posts: 24,199
Loc: Red Panda Village
Last seen: 11 hours, 42 minutes
|
|
Quote:
Mufungo said:
10 degrees ain't that cold I suppose, as long as there hasn't been any frost. But ya said it didn't get wet, so probably not the weather. The fertiliser may well be the culprit. It does seem to be traveling up from the base, is that right? A close up pic might help diagnosis. Is it soft or hard-rough to the touch? Is it showing up through/around the areolae or am I just imagining things?
I'm inclined to think it was the fertilizer because it doesn't seem like any other reason could have caused a problem... I completely forgot to get a close up pic last night but when I go home I'll definitely get one and put it up. I did touch it and it didn't seem too soft or too hard, just kind of normal... but I wasn't too serious about checking, so I could be wrong. Don't know how to answer the last question  but I'll get more detailed pics for sure.
Quote:
ferrel_human said:
that thing needs more light for sure.
It didn't get too much light, since it was winter, but it still was sitting in front of the balcony door and received just about as much light as it possibly could. During the summer, out on the balcony, it gets a serious amount of light and heat... that's why it's so bulging at the top, that was all last year's growth after being transplanted and out in the hot summer sun. Before that, you see a small and narrow section, that was when it was barely getting any light, and then the next segment is when it had the opportunity to stay in front of an HPS for a good while... a good while... 
Quote:
savage.renegade said:
Is the base yellow reddish? maybe sunburn a little if you put it out in full sun right away after being dormant with no sun.
It's kind of a dark yellowish, I didn't notice reddish hues but I'll have to take a closer look... I'm not so sure it'd be from too much sun though because it got pretty much the same amount of sun as it was getting before, just that it was on the other side of the door... plus it was only about a day of sun and several of clouds and rain...
Quote:
passifloracaerulea said:
yeah, i'd make 3-4 cuttings and get them out of that corner.
Nah, it was just in the corner so I could take clearer pictures - there was too much sunlight where it was. 
I guess I'll do some searching on damage from nutrients on cacti and see where that leads...
--------------------
If I should die this very moment
I wouldn't fear
For I've never known completeness
Like being here
Wrapped in the warmth of you
Loving every breath of you
|
fireworks_god
SexyButt McDanger
Registered: 03/12/02
Posts: 24,199
Loc: Red Panda Village
Last seen: 11 hours, 42 minutes
|
|
Well I'm bumping this because after a while of observing it and it seeming like it wasn't advancing, it's started spreading further. We were talking about cutting it soon, but now it'd be nice to know if someone knows what's happening and if it can be treated, since it seems like any part of it is going to have this problem, cut or uncut... is it too late?
It doesn't help that I could have posted about this a few days ago but didn't get around to it... 
I tried to get a better, closer picture of the base, and, if I didn't answer before, it's hard, not soft or anything, the same consistency as anywhere else...
--------------------
If I should die this very moment
I wouldn't fear
For I've never known completeness
Like being here
Wrapped in the warmth of you
Loving every breath of you
|
Nativenglish
Novice
Registered: 04/16/12
Posts: 403
|
|
General Hydroponics FloraGro provides a very low amount of phosphorus, (2-1-6), whereas most commercial cacti ferts hover around 2-7-7. I don't know enough about fertilizing cacti to tell you if this is your problem, but you are definitely off the mark on the phosphorus scale where cacti are concerned.
If it was me, I would cut that baby up and log root the mid sections, while vertical rooting the tip. Given a bit of patience, you could conceivably have 4-5 "new" healthy Peruvians to care for by this time next year.
--------------------
The government which governs least, governs best...
|
fireworks_god
SexyButt McDanger
Registered: 03/12/02
Posts: 24,199
Loc: Red Panda Village
Last seen: 11 hours, 42 minutes
|
|
Thanks for the response. We gave it a bit of nutrients just to kick it off to a fresh start for the season, but it probably didn't need anything because I doubt it's sucked all the nutrients from it's new soil from last year. We'll definitely be getting it nutes with an appropriate profile when the time comes...
So I did a lot of searching about cactus problems and it seems to be a phenomenon called "corking", which is essentially the result of aging. It could also be rot but over the last few weeks, it's still remained as firm as always. I even found some pictures of other peruvian torches that were labeled to be undergoing corking and it looked the same... Essentially parts of the skin start losing chlorophyl because only a part of the skin is needed to photosynthesize enough... and probably because it has that huge thing at the top that's so new and fresh, it's doing the job for the rest.
So I guess i just keep an eye on it, but it's reassuring to know that it's probably no problem... but it does make me wonder about cutting it... wouldn't it mean that the lower parts wouldn't be able to produce energy for themselves? 
--------------------
If I should die this very moment
I wouldn't fear
For I've never known completeness
Like being here
Wrapped in the warmth of you
Loving every breath of you
|
Mufungo
Coming at ya
Registered: 04/03/07
Posts: 2,637
Loc: Knowhere
|
|
I'd cut it about a foot up. So then there's plenty of green to keep up the energy. A larger cutting will grow better IME. 1 to 2 foot cuttings pup sooner and grow faster than one that's half a foot. In your case, I'd be going for lengths where the width is fairly consistent... for looks.
If you don't cut it, the top will get fatter as it grows taller. Then you'll have a big knob on top. Besides looking a little funny, eventually it probably will break of it's own accord. Branches break all the time when they get too big, particularly on windy days, then the broken bits fall down and re-root. Thus is the circle of life...
--------------------
|
fireworks_god
SexyButt McDanger
Registered: 03/12/02
Posts: 24,199
Loc: Red Panda Village
Last seen: 11 hours, 42 minutes
|
Re: Help With Diagnosis [Re: Mufungo]
#16375611 - 06/13/12 12:33 PM (11 months, 5 days ago) |
|
|
Thanks for the input Mufungo. We'll definitely be cutting it and should probably take care of this in the next couple of days. It really seems that it's just aging and that's why the color is changing, because there doesn't seem to be any evidence of it being smooshy from rotting at all.
So I've been reading about doing the cutting and the rooting... essentially I just sterilize with alcohol a sharp knife, make the cuts, and then just let it sit somewhere, preferably in the dark, for a couple of weeks until it heals? And then bury it a few inches deep in soil, and wait a couple more weeks until the roots start to grow? Is it necessary to put something on the cut areas (both from the one that will be planted and the top of the rest, hoping for pups) to help it heal?
--------------------
If I should die this very moment
I wouldn't fear
For I've never known completeness
Like being here
Wrapped in the warmth of you
Loving every breath of you
|
Mufungo
Coming at ya
Registered: 04/03/07
Posts: 2,637
Loc: Knowhere
|
|
Some people put sulfur on the the cuts, but it's not really necessary. After you cut, put it somewhere dry and ventilated, and then the cut will eventually callus (go dry and hard like a scab). The callus might stay white or go darker, and it's not a big deal if it has a few orangey/red bits on it (I think that's slight infection but nothing serious).
When you cut, you mentioned using alcohol, make sure the knife is dry and has no alcohol left on it when you make the cut - plants don't like alcohol.
Even after you cut, the plant will continue growing, so you might want to prop the tip upright. If it's laying down for many weeks, it can start growing upward and make it all wonky looking when you do get round to planting it.
Don't feel there's any rush to plant the cuttings afterwards. A few years ago I had one cutting that I forgot about, wrapped up in a plastic bag and at the back of a cupboard. I discovered it again after about 18 months and it had been throwing out roots and a white looking pup. I threw it in the ground and I've harvested a heap of pups off it since. Trichocereus are difficult to kill if they're in ok weather conditions.
All the best with it. 
--------------------
|
fireworks_god
SexyButt McDanger
Registered: 03/12/02
Posts: 24,199
Loc: Red Panda Village
Last seen: 11 hours, 42 minutes
|
Re: Help With Diagnosis [Re: Mufungo]
#16379340 - 06/14/12 03:43 AM (11 months, 4 days ago) |
|
|
Nice, thanks for the tips! I think this weekend we'll give it a go. It'll be pretty emotional; she grew it since it was a little little baby. 
--------------------
If I should die this very moment
I wouldn't fear
For I've never known completeness
Like being here
Wrapped in the warmth of you
Loving every breath of you
|
Mufungo
Coming at ya
Registered: 04/03/07
Posts: 2,637
Loc: Knowhere
|
|
It's not an ending. It's a new beginning..
--------------------
|
|
Images only 
Threaded
Previous
Index
Next
Shop for: 
Edit 
Reply 
