Diseases of cacti: common diseases and their treatment methods

Diseases of cacti are most often caused by bacteria, lower fungi, mycoplasmas and viruses. Some of the diseases are quite simple to cure, but a larger number of them, even with timely treatment, can lead to the death of a cactus, and they most often affect rare and expensive types of succulents.

Common diseases of cacti

Those diseases that occur without any symptoms are considered especially dangerous. Since it is very difficult to detect them, and without timely and correct treatment, the plant simply dies.

Various diseases of cacti

But an attentive florist who constantly looks after his green pets will still be able to notice that something is wrong with the plant.

Should alert:

• weakening or complete absence of growth, especially during the active growing season in spring;
• the appearance of wrinkles on the stem or a change in its color;
• lack of flowering or throwing off buds;
• dying off and drying of shoots;
• the formation of cracks and various spots on the stem.

Dry rot

You can often notice that dry rot has appeared on the cactus, the cause of its formation is mold fungi. If a cactus begins to dry out and has dull stems, this is a clear sign that dry rot has affected it.

Getting rid of such a disease is quite difficult, often the diagnosis is made at the last stage of the disease. In order to prevent the formation of dry rot, it is worth using various fungicides as a prophylactic agent. It is best to process the plant 3-4 times a year.

Dry rot

Black rot

Mamilaria, or black rot, appears as small, putrid specks of black color. As a rule, they form in the areoles and provoke the subsequent falling off of the thorns from them. This disease can occur after transplanting the plant into soil contaminated with rot spores. Also, black rot may appear after waterlogging of the soil or insufficient lighting, especially in winter, or as a result of mechanical damage.

Stem rot

Fungal disease usually affects the stems of young plants. As a result of the defeat, the stems are strongly bent, and the cactus can fall, velvety green bloom and mold appear on its surface. This plaque is nothing more than maturing fungal spores. It only takes a few days for the fungus to kill young cacti.

This disease develops well at low air temperatures and very high humidity. There is no point in saving a plant from such a disease, since infection of healthy tissues occurs very quickly and the entire root system and trunk can rot.

Stem rot

Wet rot

Rhizoctonia or wet rot very often develops on young seedlings or cuttings. The disease develops very quickly, spreading from the roots to the top of the plant, and leads to its death. There is a small chance of saving the plant from such a disease if all affected areas are removed immediately upon detection, and the remaining healthy parts of the plant are transplanted into a new steamed substrate.

Brown rot

With brown rot, darkening forms on the stems that come from the base or from places where there are unhealed wounds. Subsequently, the trunk softens, a viscous mass is formed inside it, which resembles a jelly.

Reasons why the cactus has rotted:

• Excess moisture in the soil. It happens with excessive watering and cold air temperature in the room.
• High indoor humidity.

Falling off thorns

One of the reasons why thorns begin to fall off from a cactus is a strong waterlogging of the soil. During the dormant period, when the flower needs cool air, the soil in the pot should be watered very rarely or not at all.

During the active growing season, the succulent needs abundant watering, but it is necessary to water it only after the soil in the pot has completely dried out, since the cactus can be heavily flooded even in hot summer. If moisture constantly accumulates at the roots, this will lead to their rotting and the falling off of all thorns. It is necessary to treat such a problem by transplanting a flower into a new soil and establishing a watering regime.

Falling off thorns

Spotting

Cactus stains are caused by various viruses and bacteria. And the reason for their appearance is the wrong conditions of the plant. First of all, this is the influence of cold air, if in winter the cactus stands on the windowsill of a frequently ventilated window and is therefore in a zone of constant drafts. High humidity combined with cool air in the room also adversely affects the plant. To save a flower from spotting, you need to rearrange it to a more comfortable place and take proper care.

Often, spotted rust appears on cacti, which affects the stem in the form of rusty crusts or streaks. The cause of this disease can be sunburn or the ingress of cold water on the stem, as well as a sharp decrease in the air temperature in the room. If such spots have already appeared, it is rather difficult to remove them, since they begin to spread to other parts of the stem and become more and more extensive.

Spotted rusty and yellow

Yellowing

The cactus becomes yellow when there is an insufficient amount of nutrients in the soil, as well as with a bacterial or viral disease. As a rule, the yellowing of a cactus begins at the tips of the shoots and the top of the plant. If the succulent has turned yellow all over, it can be caused by a virus called "jaundice" and there is no cure for this disease. It can go away very quickly, or it can last for months or even years.

Yellowing of the stems

Fusarium

This disease is caused by fungi of the Fusarium family and very often affects jointed succulents. The spread occurs gradually, first the fungi infect the roots, then they enter the conducting system, reach the top, and the cactus withers. If a pink or purple bloom is visible on the stems of a cactus, its stems have become wrinkled and began to slope downward, this is a clear sign of Fusarium. When cut, burgundy-brown vascular vessels can be seen on the stems.

Excess soil moisture and high indoor air humidity contribute to this disease. What to do if the cactus has begun to rot - remove the flower from the pot as soon as possible and cut off the entire rotted part of the trunk, process the cut with charcoal, dry it and root it again.

With excessive watering and a low temperature in the room, the likelihood of this disease increases.

Mealybug

If a white bloom or dots that look like fluff are visible on a cactus, this is a sure sign that the plant has been attacked by a mealybug. The cause of the appearance of this pest is considered to be improper care, infection from another plant or penetration through contaminated soil.

Mealyworm damage

Treatment options

Depending on the type of disease, there may be several treatment options.

Cutting off the roots

How to save a cactus if it starts to rot from below, the sequence of actions:

1. Cut off any roots that are severely damaged or completely rotted.
2. Rinse the remaining healthy roots in a solution of potassium permanganate.
3. Sprinkle with sulfur powder or charcoal powder.
4. Dry for 2-3 days, hanging in an upright position.
5. Take a new disinfected pot, pour steamed soil into it and plant a cactus.
6. Once planted, the plant does not need to be watered at all for 3-4 weeks.

Cutting off the roots

To avoid such a problem in the future, you must adhere to all watering rules.

Rerooting

If the root of a cactus has rotted, what to do in this case:

1. Cut off the decayed piece and watch carefully to keep the cut healthy and clean.
2. The stem must be slightly "sharpened", like a pencil, so that later it would be more convenient to plant it in the ground.
3. Treat the cut with crushed activated carbon.
4. Allow to dry well by securing it upright or place it on a plastic cup.
5. Wait for young roots to sprout. The process is quite lengthy, it can take more than ten days.
6. When roots appear, plant a seedling in the ground for cacti.
7. Water only through the pallet. 10 minutes after watering, drain all the water that is glass from it.

Re-root process

The next time you can water it only after 3-3.5 weeks.

Another way to reanimate a cactus if it has rotted:

1. Cut off all the decayed part of the cactus.
2. Dry for 3-4 days, during which time the cut should be tightened.
3. Treat with a root growth stimulant and place in a glass of water. You need enough water to cover the cut by 2-3 centimeters.
4. After about 1-2 weeks, new roots will appear, when they reach 1 cm in length, the plant can be transplanted into a new prepared soil.

A cactus transplanted in this way cannot be fed with fertilizers for one year.

Cactus transplant

In the presence of pests or diseases, it is worthwhile to transplant the flower into a new pot with new soil.

Transferring to a new pot

The cactus rots from the bottom, what to do, in this case:

1. Shake the cactus out of the old pot, carefully examine the root and the trunk itself.
2. Cut off dried and damaged roots, if the stem is damaged, it must be cut to a healthy tissue, and sprinkle with crushed activated carbon over the cut site.
3. Next, the flower must be rinsed well in hot water (50-55 degrees), adding a fungicide or insecticide to it.
4. Dry for 3-5 days in the sun in an upright position and with well-spread roots.
5. Plant in the ground by placing the stem vertically in a pot and sprinkling soil over the roots. It is very important to ensure that the ground does not reach above the root collar.

After such a transplant of a cactus, it must be kept in partial shade, without watering, for about 3-5 days.

Pruning affected areas

How to save a cactus if it is affected by fungal rot:

• If the trunk of a cactus is affected, cut off the affected area with a knife and treat it with sulfur.
• If the top is affected, then it must be cut off to healthy tissue, and the plant itself should be used as a rootstock for grafting.
• If there is rot on the cactus, disinfect the wounds with charcoal or activated charcoal, or treat it with brilliant green.

During the period of treatment for fungi, it is necessary to exclude any spraying with water; it is better to use a fungicide solution for this purpose.

Treatment with drugs

With dry rot, brown spot and late blight, it is necessary to periodically (1-2 times a month) treat plants with phytoncides and insecticides.

With brown rot, if the cactus has become soft and watery, what to do:

• Heal all injuries on the cactus trunk.
• Adhere to the correct grooming regimen.
• Treat the plant with fungicides once every 1-2 weeks.

Further care of the cactus

After the plant is healed, so that in the future it does not have any health problems, it is necessary to create favorable conditions for keeping.

Temperature and humidity

For cacti, which are native to the desert, it is necessary to provide a sufficient amount of sunlight. They feel good when placed in direct sunlight, but in the summer in the midday heat it is still better to shade them so as not to provoke a burn.

Summer temperatures are preferred over 26-28 ° C heat. Humidity they need at least 40-50%. the preferred air temperature in winter is not more than 15-18 ° C warm. Most of the varieties (except for the densely pubescent ones) will easily tolerate a temperature drop of up to + 5 ° C. For people from the tropics, bright, but diffused light and humidity of at least 60% are required.

Watering

In winter, cacti are dormant and hibernate. During this period, the plants do not need frequent watering. Watering cacti is worth not more than once every two weeks, and in small quantities. With the arrival of spring, the amount of watering is gradually increased, and in the summer it is watered quite often (once every 3-4 days). From October, watering should again be limited. Water should be used only warm and purified.

How to understand that a cactus has dried up after winter

First, dry spots appear on the stem, the flower loses its decorative qualities, and eventually dies altogether. If a cactus grows even a little, new thorns appear on it and all green tissues remain alive, it is in good condition. If the stem is hard and the soil in the pot is very dry, then the cactus is clearly dying from drought, especially if it is located in an area of ​​active sunlight.

Watering through the pallet

The soil

For cacti native to the desert, the soil needs light, loose, moisture-permeable. For tropical succulents, the soil needs airy, light and slightly acidic. The soil should have good drainage in the form of small pebbles, expanded clay or crushed bricks. The soil must contain sand, peat and charcoal.

Diseases of cacti and their treatment at home require special attention, since its future fate will depend on the timely assistance provided to the green pet. In order to cope with diseases and pests, you must always react quickly, and even better to suppress their appearance, properly caring for your beloved prickly friend.