Some serious stuff on my cactus/which specie is this one

Edo

Some serious stuff on my cactus/which specie is this one

Post by Edo »

Hey guys,
here i have couple of photos of my cactus(I dont know the real scientific name, if someone of you knows, please let me know.), that this afternoon i disovered to be really damaged by something. Its very large wound, just like bullet strike it or so.
What can it be? I strongly suspect that this is caused by frost, because other parts of its body are completely healthy. Can it be caused by some sort of a slug, worm or something? Maybe crow or magpie?
Does anyone know what it is, will it survive, how can i help?
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Conifers
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Re: Some serious stuff on my cactus/which specie is this one

Post by Conifers »

Looks like a rat's face in the last pic . . . so maybe a rat??
gdudey

Re: Some serious stuff on my cactus/which specie is this one

Post by gdudey »

Echinocereus maybe?
call

Re: Some serious stuff on my cactus/which specie is this one

Post by call »

its probably rot cut off the top bit and place in compost to root and chuck the bottom bit away so the rot dont spread
Edo

Re: Some serious stuff on my cactus/which specie is this one

Post by Edo »

Conifers wrote:Looks like a rat's face in the last pic . . . so maybe a rat??
Rats face on last pic? What exactly do you mean by that? You mean wound looks alike a rat face?
Springy

Re: Some serious stuff on my cactus/which specie is this one

Post by Springy »

Maybe one of the trichocerus species?
Essex Ross
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Re: Some serious stuff on my cactus/which specie is this one

Post by Essex Ross »

What I would do is to cut above the rot (see attached picture) and re-root the top cut by letting it callous over till it dries out but keep it standing straight, tied to a stick maybe? (see red line) And when it had calloused over re-root it in sand (but don't bury the stem, rest it on, again using sticks and string to support it). Looks like some sort of echinopsis (a.k.a. trichocereus).

Personally I would cut below the rot on the bottom part which is left of the plant and it should grow side shoots to for a shrub. (see blue line)
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: Some serious stuff on my cactus/which specie is this one

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

Essex Ross wrote:What I would do is to cut above the rot (see attached picture) and re-root the top cut by letting it callous over till it dries out but keep it standing straight, tied to a stick maybe? (see red line) And when it had calloused over re-root it in sand (but don't bury the stem, rest it on, again using sticks and string to support it). Looks like some sort of echinopsis (a.k.a. trichocereus).

Personally I would cut below the rot on the bottom part which is left of the plant and it should grow side shoots to for a shrub. (see blue line)

That' sounds sensible to me, just dont be greedy and cut too close to the rotten part. It may be worse inside than out :ahhh!: Act now before it gets any worse.
Edo

Re: Some serious stuff on my cactus/which specie is this one

Post by Edo »

Still i dont know Who the heck/What the heck done this???
My beloved cactus that im growin for long time, to cut in half...
I dont think that that necrosis goes any worst, it is kinda localised.
Ill wait some more time. And then if notice that stuff is getting bad, then ill undertake extreme measures.
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: Some serious stuff on my cactus/which specie is this one

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

Edo wrote:Still i dont know Who the heck/What the heck done this???
My beloved cactus that im growin for long time, to cut in half...
I dont think that that necrosis goes any worst, it is kinda localised.
Ill wait some more time. And then if notice that stuff is getting bad, then ill undertake extreme measures.

There was a thread on here after last winter with someone who had a similar problem. They left it too late and all the insides rotted and it died.
Conifers
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Re: Some serious stuff on my cactus/which specie is this one

Post by Conifers »

Edo wrote:
Conifers wrote:Looks like a rat's face in the last pic . . . so maybe a rat??
Rats face on last pic? What exactly do you mean by that? You mean wound looks alike a rat face?
Yes, the wound looks like a rat's face.

Whatever caused it, I can't see any decay or rot there now, just dry healed-over scar tissue. So I don't see any risk of it spreading, nor any need to take cuttings, etc.
Edo

Re: Some serious stuff on my cactus/which specie is this one

Post by Edo »

Conifers wrote:
Edo wrote:
Conifers wrote:Looks like a rat's face in the last pic . . . so maybe a rat??
Rats face on last pic? What exactly do you mean by that? You mean wound looks alike a rat face?
Yes, the wound looks like a rat's face.

Whatever caused it, I can't see any decay or rot there now, just dry healed-over scar tissue. So I don't see any risk of it spreading, nor any need to take cuttings, etc.
Thanks man, so infection is localized...
Jo A P

Re: Some serious stuff on my cactus/which specie is this one

Post by Jo A P »

Personally I'd follow Essex Ross's advice before it's too late. It has happened to me when I've left other people in charge of my plants & they've been overwatered. I'd say that there is more damage inside than out.
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redsquirrel
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Re: Some serious stuff on my cactus/which specie is this one

Post by redsquirrel »

first off Edo, i think it is trichocerus terscheckii, I bought Deb a nice one for her birthday a few years ago. it developed a similar patch to yours. i kept it under cover in the hope it would dry out but it spread right across and eventually collapsed. one thing i noticed was the spines started to fall off in complete clusters around the worst affected areas. i would put a good pair of gloves on,squeeze the blue area to feel how firm the plant should be then test around the damaged area.if it is at all soft,you know it is worse inside.
do not squeeze the brown areas though,you are likely to damage the scars very easily if you do. hope this helps mate.
keeping it dry this winter will be very important too icon_thumright
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JoelR
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Re: Some serious stuff on my cactus/which specie is this one

Post by JoelR »

Could just be a result of unfavourable conditions. Don't know much about your winters Edo but in UK, this plant would be best without any water from Oct-Apr. Definitely a Trichocereus (now subsumed into Echinopsis). Not certain but my first thought was T. chilensis because of the unusually long spines.

Looks quite deep. If you do cut it off above the rot, I'd leave the top standing in gravel somewhere frost free until spring and try to root it then. It should be fine with that course of action and the base might decide to "pup" as well in which case you'd have more plants.
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