Hello,

I'd really be grateful of any help on this.

I have had these two cacti for about 8 years or so? from when I was quite young, and they have always been potted next to each other, but suprisingly after no expert care what so ever have done (I think) amazingly well ..

I am, however, getting increasingly worried about them,

I repotted them before the winter..

-for the second time I think.

I have no idea which type of cacti these are, but my taller one is getting very, very tall, but staying very, very slim, I'm getting worried it will topple? Is there anyway of thickening him up?

He also has some brown spotting on him, and his base is musty looking and cracked in places.. any tips?

My smaller spikey one has two off shoots now, and over the past couple of months all three spikey plants have developed, what looks like a disease, part of it's spikey arms are missing - almost like big bite marks!

also the most recent off shoot died before getting very big at all.

as they have been next to one another from such a young age.. is there anyway I can separate them?

the biggest spikey one is growing further away and getting very unstable too.

I'd love to keep these cacti really healthy, and any help would just be brilliant.

here's some pics,

many thanks for your time in advance,

Michelle Wood,

Nottingham, England.

{{gwi:530545}}

{{gwi:530546}}

{{gwi:530547}}

{{gwi:530548}}

{{gwi:530549}}

x