Cactus hole dilemma

[Phil Hocking]

Hi Diane

What if you were to rest the plant on some kind of thin supports that keep the base of the plant just above the substrate but allow that little root to make contact and penetrate it? That would encourage to root to grow and to begin to take up moisture. My inclination has always been to plonk the plant on to moist cat litter or Seramis as soon as a root shows itself, for fear of the root shrivelling up again. However, keeping the cut surface just above the substrate might be a better option.

Somerset Phil

[Diane]

Good idea, Phil, I might try that later on, I'll see how it progresses!

[AnTTun]

Folks.. let's contrentate on my gymno, shall we?



My final solution is: since it dried out quite a lot while I was waiting for roots to grow out more, I gave up on (no doubt, briliant) silicone idea. When gymno fills with water, hole will grow and silicone wont fill it any more, on the contrary. So I filled pot with soil and put some (1 cm) stones on top of it, creating a layer between soil and gymno. Stones will suck some water but less than soil itself. Now its up to gymno, it had strong roots I don't doubt new ones that are growing rather fast will make their way around and between the stones. Will keep you posted.

[Phil_SK]

I think that's a good decision.

[Julie]

Good luck with saving your baby.

I'd treat it like a Stapeilad cutting.... an inch of heavy sand on top with a mostly-sand mix underneath. Or you could prop it slightly above the soil level, I guess the roots would still find their way still.

[Julie]

Diane, I love that little root!

Btw I left a 3yo obesa baby to root over a winter and it was fine. Very dessicated, but he found his way. I think to leave yours over the winter as Geoff says would be a great idea. A couple of waters would let it get a few roots, then leave it until the spring.

How on earth do you edit your posts in this new forum?

[Aiko]

How on earth do you edit your posts in this new forum?

There should be a button labeled 'Edit' in the top of each of your posts (there is one with 'Quote' on it too).

[Aiko]

Hmmmm, difficult one, is the rest of the plant in good shape? It may well die, but better to try and grow it on and hope its sends out some offsets, and start again with one of them.

One of my larger Ferocactus of about 40 centimeters has a huge crater, about one quarter of it's mass. You can fit in your entire hand and wrist, if you'd want to (and I did...). But at least had part of its root system intact. I discovered the hole this Spring, but have put it in new soil anyway. It has flowered not long after. So (at least when there are roots) a plant does not have to die.

The attachment IMG_0278.jpg is no longer available

Not sure what caused this, though. A fungus?

The plant has made it to flowering, see attached photo.

Is anyone able to identify the Ferocactus? It's size is about 40 centimeters (I guess about 12/13 inches) across.

Ferocactus

[Essex Ross]

any update on this plant AnTTun?

[Julie]

Yep tell us how he went Anttun.