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Philocacti

Weird phenomena on some of my Trichocereus

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So every time this year, when it's extremely hot, most of my Trichocereus cacti display this very thin rib or wrinkled parts but the growing tip in either case is firm and they're growing as normal.

My only hypothesis is that they display this to avoid the intense sun, just the same as when growing pereskiopsis in full sun the leaves are smaller then those that are grown in the shade.

Does anyone has any explanation or idea to why this happens?

Edit: I tried taking pictures with different camera position and they're always posted sideways

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Edited by Philocacti

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I thought that sort of thing happens when the cacti stop growing as much over winter and then grow way faster in summer so you get this kind of I dunno what to call it but pretty much what you see in the pics... Also the wrinkles are usually a sign of dehydration...

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It's mid summer here and they only started displaying this recently. I water once every 3 days.

The tip is firm and growing nicely but the mid body looks skinny like a cereus. I wouldn't risk watering at 2 days.

What's really strange is I have individuals from the same seed batch displaying it while others don't.

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Strange... I was really only just guessing haha

Maybe its like the cactus using the water/energy from lower down to fuel all its new growth....

I dunno I am sure someone who actually does will chime in xD

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Maybe its like the cactus using the water/energy from lower down to fuel all its new growth....

That's what I think is happening. It's summer for me, and some of mine display this right now.

Old and new growth, all on the same plant.

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Yeah, probably just the redistribution of water usage. I'm in a particularly moist environment that gets quite a bit of rain and only notice this plants that seem to be rooting slowly. Sometimes my plants, including T. bridgesii, stay wet for weeks on end and do just fine. If I were you I would probably water every other day.

~Michael~

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^^^

That happens to my TBM's. Sometimes when it's been a few weeks since watering all the older pups will shrivel and the new ones will stay firm and growing fast.

Edited by hostilis

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^^^

That happens to my TBM's. Sometimes when it's been a few weeks since watering all the older pups will shrivel and the new ones will stay firm and growing fast.

One of my TBM's is doing this atm it's weird all the others I have are perfect

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One of my TBM's is doing this atm it's weird all the others I have are perfect

Just means they want more water IME.

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Solaritea yup that's what's happening here as well.

Michael, I'll try watering one pot every other day, which means the soil won't get completely dry if it doesn't rot and becomes all plump again, I'll do that with the rest.

hostilis my TBM is doing the same, especially type A, but their showing black rot at the same time.

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hostilis my TBM is doing the same, especially type A, but their showing black rot at the same time.

Yeah philocacti, my TBM's and bridgesii in general get crazy scaring and black "rot" no matter what I'm doing. When they're hydrated, dehydrated, actively growing, dormant, doesn't matter, they're always getting weird scaring for no apparent reason.

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Yea mine get the same thing - my psycho0 clone is doing it a lot these days..

During hot summer months you can water pretty much every day with impunity..

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Yea mine get the same thing - my psycho0 clone is doing it a lot these days..

not only that, the 5-6 monster plants you left over here have all shriveled up into nothingness.... :P

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Most of my plants are inside a greenhouse which means they survive 55 centigrade during summer (with doors open) They need everyday watering to continue living. Some of the most sensitive like Scops do show wrinkles.Im taking them out tomorrow.

To prevent base rot with intense watering I use a silicate based product which strengthens cell walls,it seems to help. Inoculating the soil with beneficial fungi also is a good idea, "good" fungi "fight" "bad" fungi"...

My seedlings are constantly immersed in water during summer which makes them grow faster and stay cool. Pots are contained in trays and are watered by flood irrigation.Very few rot.

Edited by slice
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When i water cacti i flood them for 12-24 hours. Ie submerge the soil level in h2o. Dont know if ide do this to aztekiums but eveything else loves to be given the chance to indulge.

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This is definately NOT a weird phenomenon, this is normal dehyderation during summer peak, when the trichocerei struggle to keep the water before it dehydrates from the soil. Trichocerei DONT LIKE summer peak (especially mid-noon full on unshaded sun), I am sure its the same for US states that have as hot of a summer or more as me or you Philocacti...

Water every other day, every day, or even twice a day ........ well do this gradually....

Use mulch (straw) or pebbles during summer to help soil keep the water more.

with more often watering they will recover.. I am having that in my new small greenhouse (doors and windows open) ... more , rather than plants in the open, but it happens there too if they're dehydrated...

the wrinkling can occur in the whole body and even the tip if they're badly dehydrated..

MS Smith is spot on I think when he says its all about water re-distribution in the cactus...

like always with cacti, a couple days good watering and they're back into shape..

PS: Seedlings usually dont do this as they are tougher than mature ones...

PS2: If you water every day and some cactus rots, maybe you should reconsider your substrate.. do you actually fertilise your pots? are they in clay pots?

Clay pots would also explain the degree of dehydration in 3 days waterings intervals, but well, its not as hot here as there, I guess....

Edited by mutant
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took my Scops. out of the greenhouse... the heat is too much for them

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Edited by slice
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Ok so it's pretty normal during high heat waves..... I increased my watering and today I found these mushrooms growing in one of the pots :)

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Awesome ! Looks like some Leucocoprinus sp, or some other genus from the Coprinellus complex.

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Although I haven't done a scientific experiment I'm seeing evidence that supports the theory in my 1st post that the ribs shrink to reduce exposure to intense light.

As I was watering my collection I started weeding long grass and I noticed that one of my montrose bridgesii had a pup totally hiding under the grass. As shown in the picture it's very bright green and plump...even compared to the one beside it. The 2nd pic is another column that's taller then the ones in the 1st pic and it's extremely shriveled.

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Edited by Philocacti

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took my Scops. out of the greenhouse... the heat is too much for them

Hi slice, looks like my grannys legs in undies! :)

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hey Philo the weeds this time of year are also stealing lots of water from your cacti roots. Especially these fucking grasses

and hey what is the biggy thing in the background? a huge semi-monstrosa bridgesii?

the theory in my 1st post that the ribs shrink to reduce exposure to intense light...

there could be some truth in that, but cacti do this anyways if they are dehydrated, irregardless the sun, but you might be partly right....

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and hey what is the biggy thing in the background? a huge semi-monstrosa bridgesii?

My theory was, if I let these tall grasses grow, they'll provide some shade for the lower parts of bigger cacti and shade for pots with small seedling around these pots. They would also ensure that the soil wouldn't hold water for a very long time. But things got out of control.

Yup, the one in the background is a montrose bridgesii and it's not showing this phenomenon

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Plus this pot with eileen and SuperPedroXPsycho0 cluster

cluster

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Edited by Philocacti
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I see where you're getting at with the grasses... trichos (ao cacti) they like shade at the peak of hotness, that's for sure...

well it would be unfair to call it semi-monstrosa, it seems to be too naughty.. a beauty, a proper freek

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I think I've figured out what's happening (at least in my environment). I think the ones that are in more sunny spots for them to handle, display this rib shrinkage.

This a SS02XBRIDGESII

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These are bridgesiiXSS02

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As shown in the picture the columns on the front row are displaying this shrinkage but the one on far right and the one in the back have their normal "pumped" column.

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