Cactus Growing Root-Like Strings?

12 years ago

As seen in the picture attached one of my cacti is growing these weird finger like projections. This particular cacti was originally the type with a flower like bulb on top but the bulb began to turn brown and the cactus started to rot from the top down. I read online that there wasn't anything I could do but as a student in Agriculture and Life Sciences I took my basic biology knowledge and used sterile tools to cut the infection off - thinking that maybe if I just it off it would save the plant. Knowing that without an apical meristem the plan would never grow up but with lateral meristems still intact it would grow arms. Which is exactly what it did, it grew an arm! I was beyond surprised and excited but now I'm just a big confused as too what these root like noodles coming off of it are. Any help would be much appreciated.

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Comments (11)

spikef35
12 years ago
They are aerial roots this species of plant is tropical yes there are tropical cacti the top one was grafted on to this the top roots function but u can remove them if u want
spikef35
12 years ago
Also do u have a collection of other cacti
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fauxface
Original Author
12 years ago
I'll post some pics of my other cacti and succulents!

So they're just aerial roots, they serve no purpose?
fauxface
Original Author
12 years ago
more pics.
fauxface
Original Author
12 years ago
and more pics
fauxface
Original Author
12 years ago
last pic!
Bryna Haspiel
6 years ago
rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
6 years ago
Bryana

Do you have question?

(Btw, this thread is 6yrs old, I didn't see posts by op since then.)
Angela Hardy
3 years ago
Omg! I have been searching everywhere to see what kinda cactus this is! Mine is huge with at least a foot long growth exactly like ur pic.
Margaret Miller
3 years ago
The same thing was happening to my cactus. I did some research and found exactly what I needed, plus some other very interesting information! Here's the link: https://laidbackgardener.blog/category/cactus-and-succulents/ Hope it works!
Kristy Bildner
3 years ago
Mine is doing thr same thing! i still have thr flower on top of mine though . it has 4 ”arms” now. the first 2 i thought were weird toots so i directed them back into the pot. and mine grew with another cactus coming off thr stem. it was suprisong how fast that and the ”arms” grew grew!