It will be interesting to see what it looks like as it continues to grow.

Maybe damage due to mites? Basing this possibility on this thread https://cactiguide.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=42129

Thanks for the replies, I have checked the roots and could not see any major infestation but who knows...I also do preventive treatment nowadays and was concerned it may have been a reaction to that. Will keep an eye on it though.

Socks, yes not what it should look like but does give it character :) BTW I ended up visiting Huntington Gardens and the Cactus Center a couple weeks ago. What a feast!!!

Ohhhh! Nice, Alain! Good to go now because both those places get pretty hot as we move into summer. The shade cloth over Cactus Center seems to hold the heat in.

Did you get anything at Cactus Center? Nice people there.

Very nice people indeed, had a nice exchange regarding their amazing specimens for sale, notably some Ariocarpus. One was $1200, I'll get it next time... Joke aside, I wish I had bought a lot more of those a while back, seems it would have been a better investment than the stock market :)

One year later...full recovery with no visible corking. Go figure!

Can't think of anything I did differently.

Alain,

It's looking great. I'll bet it will be plumb full of flowers in the spring.

I don't know if you're on FB, but there's a wonderful grower of these I could introduce you to, and he lives north of you.

Harris, I am not on FB and only started a tentative Instagram account recently if that helps connecting.

Thanks

Thanks for the follow-up. Good thing you didn't toss it last year when it looked bad. Nice plant, interesting. Looks like you potted it "down."

indeed, glad I kept it and neglected it! it just ballooned :)