Oh my gosh, thank YOU SO MUCH! This is exactly the help I needed. I will get started today and keep you posted on the results! So you think it'll make it? Fingers crossed!

Oh! And I think I'm in zone 9b, too! Or maybe 9a? I'm in Santa Rosa, CA--near you.

Yes, it will survive and multiply! That's why it falls apart so easily, so it can propagate so easily. It's all part of the plan.

I can't see the photo well enough but this is only true if the plant parts (roots, stems) are still alive. They look kind of dried out in the photo but if it was healthy before it fell apart, it'll do just fine in its new number.

Wonderful. Fingers (haha) crossed! Thank you!

Lorelle, you live in California you may want to think about getting some pumice. For some reason Californians can easily get pumice.

Pumice is great for succulents. Since you live in Santa Rosa I'm sure there are plenty of feed stores around, and they sell a big bag for under $20. It's sold under the name Dry Stall. It's used for horse stalls. For my succulents I use pumice, perlite, and cactus mix. Depends on what I'm potting up, but usually my mix looks like this.

My peanut cactus loves our winter rains. Right now he's sucking up all the rains:). Our coldest months I keep it dry, but once the nights aren't going below 40F I expose it to all the rain. Last winter we received all that water most of my succulents were not happy, but this cactus loved it. The summer it's so dry and hot it'll turn red. Which is fine, but with the March rain the little "peanuts/thumbs" are turning back to green and getting chubby again;).

Besides letting you know about pumice the second reason I'm writing this is to tell you to keep the corked woody pieces. Those are still alive, just old;).

You live about an hour from me. I live in Martinez. Have you've ever been to Lone Pine Gardens in Sebastopol? You should check it out one day if you haven't;).

Thank you for all this wonderful info! I'm going to my local farm store to look for pumice in the morning. I'm so glad you mentioned it, as I am also transplanting some aloe and will incorporate the pumice!

Love the pics of your happy peanut cactus. I will make a point of getting mine more water.

And will check out Lone Pine Gardens, thank you!

I came all the way back here to thank you for your stellar advice, Kara! I followed your advice to the letter and my peanut cacti are SO HAPPY. Got pumice, which the farm store only knew as DryStall, so I'm so glad you shared that brand name with me. And have been watering them more than I would typically water succulents, which as you said they would, they LOVE.

Here is a picture of one of their happy containers--they've been repotted in lots of places around my home! Thank you so much!

Omg they look so good;)!

They really are doing great and look very happy. It’s amazing that only 4 months ago you had to deal with what’s in your original pic, and now look at them. Next year they’ll even do better. You will probably get tons of flowers next year. Something to look forward too.

For the best blooms these guys need a cool resting period. So don’t bring them in your house during the winter or put somewhere warm. They can handle down to -8C/17.6F. In Santa Rosa you will never have to worry. This is one plant I never ever worry about. Keep it dry during our coolest months, but once late winter early spring comes your cactus will love the rain. I told you this already;).

Good job;)!

ps- keep giving them tons of light because they look best from it. Imo of course;).

Thank you so much!

Oh, and just for fun: a few years ago I took a couple of pups from this plant and set them on top of soil in little pots and brought them inside, experimentally. Here's how they look today! I don't think they love it indoors but they look super cool and they keep growing.

I have a Lady Finger Cactus at home, and i read somewhere that they are moderately simple to propogate.

Had to give my Lady Finger some artificial light because today is the second day in a row that has been gloomy. My plant needs the light.

Don't panic, those little thumbs can recover as individual cuttings. Brush off the dirt to find the rough bottom ends, let them sit out a few days to callus, and then push them into a cactus soil mix. Do not water until new roots grow.