10 year old cactus is sick.

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

[UPDATED] I've had this indoor cactus for 10 years. For a long time I have noticed that she has been becoming slowly discolored, mostly near the base and up one side. It looks like mildew in some spots and looks brown/yellow in other spots. I have repotted her with new soil and a new pot more than once over the past few years, but it doesn't seem to help. She has moved with me around the Midwest (Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana) and continues to have new growth every year. Does anyone know what this is? Is it too late to save her?

** I don't water her very much during the winter, maybe once a month. I water her once a week during the summer. I keep her on my windowsill (facing north). She is currently in a pot with drainage holes at the bottom. I'm using a mix of succulent/cactus potting mix and have a layer of rocks at the bottom of the pot.

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Comments (4)

socks
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
The knowledgeable folks here will want to see photos, especially of the pot, potting mix. How much light does it get, how often do you water? Etc.
Emily (5b)
5 years ago
Are the discolored areas firm? It looks like it might just be corking, which is normal
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HU-894885029
Original Author
5 years ago
Yes, it is firm. Is it normal for the corking to reach so high up? There's a strip of brown going up the side.
Polypompholyx
5 years ago
Are you in the northern or southern hemisphere? I ask because if you are in the southern hemisphere then it makes sense to have your cactus in a north facing window but if you are in the northern hemisphere then why are you keeping a desert type cactus in a place with so little light? Some plants will survive not so great care but will have problems. If that is corking in the pictures then it doesn't look right. Sometimes abnormal corking is a response to not so good culture conditions for a cactus. If you are in the northern hemisphere then I suspect your cactus isn't well because of a lack of sunlight. If you decide to try giving it more sunlight then please do that gradually. A big sudden change in the amount of light can result in sunburn.