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earthpigg
September 12th, 2010, 07:51 AM
I purchased a cactus, in one of those little 3 inch in diameter plant pot thingies.

I moved, and decided to replant it at the same time. After having grown very rapidly under my care, she was getting taller than the pot was deep or wide, so I figured her roots must be cramped by now in that small pot.

Her previous environment was in the small pot with a few hours of sunlight per day filtered through a window with drapes. Zero direct sunlight.

Her present environment is a larger pot. For soil, I mixed 25% miracle grow with dirt from the ground near some alive & healthy bushes. Currently outside with more hours of light, and all of it direct sunlight.

Why are some of her young appendages turning from healthy green to sickly orange?

This is quite a catastrophe.

Advice?

Legendary_Bibo
September 12th, 2010, 08:08 AM
Cacti do not like to be moved, they have the hardest time with transfers. I think you may be giving it too much nutrients. With owning a cactus, you typically don't have to do anything, they strive on harshness which means don't water them unless theres been a drought for a while, and don't give it miracle grow, just let it do its thing.

earthpigg
September 12th, 2010, 08:21 AM
well, i live in northern california. it hasn't rained in about 4 months, so i water once every week or 2.

i mixed the miracle grow with 3 parts crap dirt for every 1 part miracle grow.

Legendary_Bibo
September 12th, 2010, 08:30 AM
well, i live in northern california. it hasn't rained in about 4 months, so i water once every week or 2.

i mixed the miracle grow with 3 parts crap dirt for every 1 part miracle grow.

That's too much watering probably. Out here in AZ the cacti go a month or two without water and they crow like crazy. It could be the environment. It's actually easy to tell if a cactus is dehydrated or not. Do this as a guide line, on a piece of paper, fold an inch down, then take that fold and fold it an inch down towards the other side of the paper. If the cactus has sharp pointed ridges around it, it's dehydrated, if the edges are more bloated looking it has enough water, and it may be over watered.

earthpigg
September 12th, 2010, 08:49 AM
wait, how does the folding paper interact with the cactus?

your directions just say to fold a piece of paper a bunch...

teilnehmer
September 12th, 2010, 09:14 AM
Oh boy,

I don't have a cactus and know nothing about it, but this is so intriguing I subscribed to this thread. A piece of paper? I have to know what this is about.

:D

renkinjutsu
September 12th, 2010, 09:30 AM
I think he's suggesting you use the side of a piece of paper to feel or scrape the "skin" of the cactus to see if it's rough or smooth :confused:

jtarin
September 12th, 2010, 11:51 AM
wait, how does the folding paper interact with the cactus?

your directions just say to fold a piece of paper a bunch...
It's Zen Origami....takes your mind off your cactus problems for a moment....it worked, didn't it?:p

oldos2er
September 12th, 2010, 05:34 PM
Did you sterilize the "crap dirt"? I wouldn't recommend using ground dirt in houseplants (including cactus). Get some cactus mix potting soil if possible, and pot it in an unglazed clay pot with good drainage. If you can't find cactus mix use a regular potting soil (without fertilizer), and put about an inch of sand on top. You should be able to find a 40 - 50 lb. bag of playground sand for about US$3 or so at any home improvement store.

Only water once a month or less now that winter's coming on. I don't usually water mine at all after 1 Oct.

Legendary_Bibo
September 12th, 2010, 05:53 PM
wait, how does the folding paper interact with the cactus?

your directions just say to fold a piece of paper a bunch...

Oh yeah, well it gives you a guideline for how the ridges would look. If you stretch it half way, that's what the ridges should look like with enough water, and if you scrunch it to a quarter of the total length and the ridges look like that then it's dehydrated.

It's something we're taught in AZ when we're little. Kind of like how you guys learn that the rings in a tree represents each year it has been around. We don't really have trees so they had to teach us something about the plant life.

rotwang888
September 12th, 2010, 06:28 PM
Try getting it out of direct sunlight for a while. I'm not sure about cacti, but some succulents like aloe turn orange if they're getting too much sun. And as others have said, lay off the watering, especially considering the dirt it's in, which won't drain as fast as cactus planting mix.

juancarlospaco
September 12th, 2010, 08:26 PM
... This Cacti ? (http://www.cacti.net/)

Legendary_Bibo
September 12th, 2010, 08:54 PM
... This Cacti ? (http://www.cacti.net/)

No, a cactus as in the plant that you don't want to hug.

MasterNetra
September 13th, 2010, 04:07 AM
Did you sterilize the "crap dirt"? I wouldn't recommend using ground dirt in houseplants (including cactus). Get some cactus mix potting soil if possible, and pot it in an unglazed clay pot with good drainage. If you can't find cactus mix use a regular potting soil (without fertilizer), and put about an inch of sand on top. You should be able to find a 40 - 50 lb. bag of playground sand for about US$3 or so at any home improvement store.

Only water once a month or less now that winter's coming on. I don't usually water mine at all after 1 Oct.

Of course if his cactus was native to his area then the local soil would of been fine.

My advice if you want to raise plants outdoors, try getting ones that are native to your area that you like. After all if they grow well around the area then obviously they won't have trouble growing in your yard.

On a side note; a friend gave me a poinsettia which wasn't doing well no matter what he did with it or placed it, once he gave it to me it became very healthy and even flowered for me. I had it on a kitchen table near the back glass sliding door. It only got direct sunlight around sundown. I moved from the location though and had no place for it so I had to give it back. :/

Plumtreed
September 13th, 2010, 09:29 AM
We have a cactus that has appendages that turn orange and then burst into flower.

It lives indoors and is seldom watered....It has been around for years. Ugly as sin but an old friend!

oldos2er
September 13th, 2010, 11:08 PM
Of course if his cactus was native to his area then the local soil would of been fine.


I assumed since he said he bought it in a 3" pot, it wasn't. Cacti (or other commercially sold plants) may not do well when exposed to the bugs, bacteria, weed seeds, and other undesirables found in raw backyard soil.