Swiper Posted February 7, 2012 Hi All, About six months ago a friend gave me this plant when he knew I was getting into cacti, it's about 10 yrs old. So the first thing I do is take some cuttings from it and plant them up (including the mother plant ) then watered them in nicely. BIG mistake, they all started to develop orange rot. I caught it in time, removed them from their pots and allowed them to dry out for a few weeks. It was all good so I potted them up again. Then a few weeks ago some nasty bird decided to have a peck at the mother plant and did some damage to a few buttons, so I got some mesh and covered the pot. Today I noticed some really bad damage, a fat bastard caterpillar eating away at my favourite plant, I don't know how long it was in there but it is now a very flat caterpillar. Any advice on what to do next ? I have removed it from its pot and will leave it to sit for a couple of weeks. And I think I may invest in a small greenhouse. Should I clean as much of the caterpillars wastes (like mud) from the plant, or just leave it ? Cheers, Swiper. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LokStok Posted February 7, 2012 Any advice on what to do next ? Eat the caterpillar! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
danshaman Posted February 7, 2012 fucking caterpillars!!! caught one munching on my grafted cactus and it is now rotting fuckers Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Evil Genius Posted February 7, 2012 Nothing to do here for now. Problem is that im not so sure the orange rot is under control. And wounds are an open invitation. Let the wound from the caterpillar heal and watch the orange rot very closely. Maybe you should consider treating it if it continues to grow. bye Eg Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Swiper Posted February 7, 2012 (edited) Thanks EG, I will leave alone for now. I can't see any orange rot on the plant now, it was mainly where I had cut the roots off with the cuttings. Regards, Swiper. Edited February 7, 2012 by Swiper Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chilli Posted February 7, 2012 (edited) So the first thing I do is take some cuttings from it and plant them up (including the mother plant ) then watered them in nicely. You should never "water in" cactus cuttings like you would with a normal plant.. instead, wait until the cuts have calloused, then put them in dry soil and then wait a couple of weeks at least (so they can begin to form roots) before giving them any water, and make sure you do it on a day when they will dry out quickly. Edited February 7, 2012 by chilli 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
C_T Posted February 7, 2012 loph don't really go in soil as such, only use 10% organic matter, the rest is small stones and the like. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chilli Posted February 7, 2012 loph don't really go in soil as such, only use 10% organic matter, the rest is small stones and the like. That's still soil. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazonian Posted February 7, 2012 Naughty caterpillar !!!. I check my lovely Lophs everyday, sometimes more than once. Its a good habbit to get into i reckon, that way you may be able to stop too much damage from an insect or what ever, if caught soon enough. Good luck Swiper, and welcome to the forum 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chef Posted February 7, 2012 Naughty caterpillar !!!. I check my lovely Lophs everyday, sometimes more than once. Its a good habbit to get into i reckon, that way you may be able to stop too much damage from an insect or what ever, if caught soon enough. Good luck Swiper, and welcome to the forum Every time i go outside i have a good gander at all of my cacti and i get stuck at my hybrid berries, they fasinate me Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stillman Posted February 7, 2012 I too recommend eating the caterpillar. and possibly you tubing it like Bear Grylls and the Rhino beetle larvae.. lol But seriously probably look at buying at least a mini greenhouse so you can contain and control the environment a bit. My favourite babies live under light inside. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ambient Posted February 7, 2012 Every time i go outside i have a good gander at all of my cacti and i get stuck at my hybrid berries, they fasinate me There seems to be something calming/rewarding about looking at cacti, don't quite know what it is yet, but I always feel better after a stroll through my collection Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CβL Posted February 8, 2012 You should never "water in" cactus cuttings like you would with a normal plant.. I usually do and of the 30 or so cuttings I've rooted, none have had problems. I don't like to pull the cuttins out to inspect roots, but I would suspect that when you don't water, the cacti will send out "anchor" or "probe" roots which are not able to take in water. They're those fat noodle-like roots you see from cuttings in the dark. If you do water, at least rather soon, I would suspect that fibrous roots (these are the roots that are flushed when the plant has had no water for a while and then suddenly gets some, and they are easily expendable and material-efficient). I'm not saying to ignore chilli's advice, but just that there's a range of rooting techniques, from safe to dangerous, and that for healthy specimens of certain cacti species, the dangerous method (which I would probably say mine comes closer to) will probably be fine almost all of the time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chef Posted February 8, 2012 interesting time for a new tek Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Swiper Posted February 9, 2012 Thanks for all the advice people. Silly me, I should've eaten the caterpillar instead of grinding it into oblivion beneath my boot ! I do check my cactus every day, somedays I can spend hours just looking at them, they are fascinating plants. Sometimes I can nearly hear them talking to me ! Cheers, Swiper. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Evil Genius Posted February 9, 2012 (edited) Sometimes I can nearly hear them talking to me ! Try not to listen when they tell you to kill em all. Happens to me all the time... Edited February 9, 2012 by Evil Genius 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ambient Posted February 9, 2012 "Kill (then eat) em all"... ... Just like the caterpillar... Maybe it was on to something Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
