SAVE A DYING CACTUS: HOW TO REVIVE YOUR PLANT

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If you are searching for How To Save a Dying Cactus, this article should help. Most people who buy and tend cacti love them. When they get sick it’s upsetting as they’ve likely been around for years. Use these steps to help save a dying cactus at your home or business.

CUT ROTTING PARTS AWAY

Rotting is generally a sign of overwatering. The black or brown sections of the cactus must be cut away. Then you must decide if your soil is completely soaked and should be put in a new pot with new soil, or if you’ll be able to let it dry out and begin your new watering schedule again. If you decide to repot your cactus you should use mix one part peat, two parts garden soil, and two parts coarse sand.

ADJUST DAILY SUNLIGHT

Depending on the sunlight available your cactus may be getting too much or not enough sunlight. For cactus which are becoming more narrow or rounded more sunlight should be added. Either place the plant where it gets more hours of sunlight a day or choose to move it in the midday for best results.

ADJUST WATERING

For cacti that look wilted, are shrinking, or are wrinkled you should add water. It’s important to allow the soil to completely dry before watering, to avoid root rot. If your cactus is in a pot it should be one where excess water will drain easily. Watering should be adjusted based on the temperature and season. During the hotter parts of the year you’ll want to water about 1 time per week indoors. During the cooler months of the year you’ll want to back that off and only water when the soil is dried out completely. For outdoors you’ll need to monitor the soil and water when it’s bone dry and there’s no rain in the forecast. Learn how to water a cactus here.

RINSE OFF DIRT & DUST

When the flesh of the cactus is covered with dirt or dust it cannot process the light properly. You can use a soft sponge or rag to rinse off this residue. You can wipe it down with a sponge soaked in water and a drop of dish soap or you may choose to rinse off your cactus under the faucet in the sink. For outdoors you can use a house to gently rinse off your cactus.

CONTROL PESTS & INSECTS

Another cactus killer is pests and insects. They’ll cause yellowing sections on your cactus and make it sick. To common insects that are harmful to cacti are the spider mites and mealybugs. You can purchase solutions from your local nursery for spider mites and use rubbing alcohol to kill mealybugs. Spider mites are tiny red spiders that have webs that are like sheets. Mealybugs appear in powdery white clusters.

USE LOW NITROGEN FERTILIZER

Use some fertilizer at the beginning of the growing season which usually starts around March. Fertilizer is mixed and packaged in different ratios. The ratio that is best for cacti is one where the nitrogen is rated at 10. This means a common solution is a 10 (N) – 30 (P) – 20 (K). Avoid excessive nitrogen as it will cause stunted growth and a texture that’s flabby.

HOW TO TREAT CACTUS ROT

Cactus rot is caused by overwatering. While owners might feel like frequent tending is how you care for plants, the cactus doesn’t need as much attention. Most cactus that turn brown and black to eventually die have been overwatered by accident by their owners.

LET THEM GET DRY

While most plants get sickly if they aren’t watered often the cactus is a plant that needs to dry out as part of it’s plant cycle. The roots of the cactus are accustomed to having very little water in nature and will rot if you water them as much as you do your tomatoes.

WATCH FOR MUSHY SECTIONS & DISCOLORATION

It’s incredibly important to watch for your cactus to get mushy or start turning brown and or black. These are signs that overwatering has occurred. The roots are probably already dead and rotting. Simply do not ever overwater. Pay attention to your cactus soil and only water when it’s completely dried out. It may seem neglectful, but that’s the natural environment the cactus is used to.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU’VE FOUND CACTUS ROT

It is time to trim them off with a sharp knife and repot or replant your cactus. Make sure you use a good mixture of garden soil (2 parts), coarse sand (2 parts) and peat soil (1 part). It’s also important to choose a pot that’s a little oversized and has good drainage holes. If you’re growing cactus outside make sure the soil you’re planting in is good draining soil with a portion of sand to help facilitate this affect.

CACTUS CARE & CACTUS REMOVAL IN PHOENIX

If you’ve got cactus on your property that need to be cared for or if you need cactus removal, our team can help! We proudly care for trees and cactus in the Phoenix Valley including Chandler, Mesa, Gilbert, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. We trim, prune, improve nutrients in soil, and remove cactus that have died. If you’d like to know more about our services, please contact us today, Call 480-962-0701 or Contact Us Today!

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BASIC TIPS FOR AVOIDING STORM DAMAGE

Water, mulch, and fertilize your trees correctly and regularly, healthier trees are going to withstand the elements a lot better. This will also help prevent the soil from becoming compacted. Prune annually or semi-annually (sometimes every two to three years, depending on the type of tree) even while they are still young. Having your trees trimmed professionally by someone who understands healthy tree structure is your best thing to avoid problems. Incorrectly pruned trees can lead to splitting limbs and trunks in higher winds.

Proactively take of your trees – any money you spend on the preventive maintenance of your trees will be a lot less costly than replacing them, especially if they cause damage to cars, roofs, or structures when they fall. Clean your yard of any leaf debris or landscaping trash. This will help avoid more work for you when high winds blow debris all over your yard and will help prevent your pool filters from becoming obstructed and burning out.

STAKE YOUR TREES

Staking your trees provides younger trees with the support it needs until its trunk is strong enough to hold the weight of the tree. A lot of trees won’t need to be staked for longer than a year, but stakes should be left for a minimum of one full growing season. When the tree can stand on its own, you can remove the stakes.

HOW TO PROPERLY STAKE A TREE:

Use 8-foot stakes or lodge poles. They should be at least 6-8 feet tall and around three inches in diameter.

Figure out the general direction of the wind and position the stakes precisely opposite one another, about 2 feet from the stem, staying in line with the wind.

Force the stakes vertically at least 2 feet into the soil. Try and keep the stakes the same height above ground. When completed, stakes should stand erect at about 4 feet.

Cut two pieces of pliable wire, each measuring around 5 feet long. Use rubber (or use an old garden hose) to create 2, 18-inch lengths. Slide the lengths over the wire and wrap the hose around the tree to help safeguard the trunk from the wire. Draw equal lengths of the wire parallel to the ground and attach them to the top of the stakes. Twist the wires together on the outside of the stake and make sure the wire is nice and taut – clip off any leftover with wire clippers.

TREE MAINTENANCE AND CARE

Straightforward care and maintenance can make your trees beefier during periods of rough weather, here are a couple of things to watch out for:

Dead wood is unstable because it is brittle, and can’t give or ben under stress as healthy, living tree branches can.

Cracks can be evidence of potential branch failures, where there will be splitting sooner or later, so prune as a preventative step to stop more cracking.

Decay is a clear indicator of fungal growth or hollow cavities and is a sign of structural weakness.

Pests, like the Palo Verde bore, can increase a tree’s health problems, but they typically target trees that are already unhealthy.

Can you see the sky through the tree? Keeping your trees thin is a very important thing to do to “storm-proof” your trees. Sometimes the thicker a tree is, the more vulnerable it is to damage in heavier winds. Even for a tree that is perfectly healthy, if its foliage is overly dense it can pose a safety hazard during inclement weather. A dense canopy won’t allow the wind to pass through easily, and the ability to withstand the wind can cause branches to snap or even bring the whole tree down. This particularly applies to weight at the ends of its branches, which is why pruning only the lower parts of the branches is not enough. The leaves will grow back as the tree endures the monsoon.