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Conv3rgence

Is this witch's broom?

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I only just found out about this disease today, and became concerned about one of my recent cacti pickups. I got given this damaged Peruvianus for free, it had split and calloused over from over watering some time ago, but no signs of rot. It had 8 pups at the base, an unusually high number, which makes me think witchs broom.

Anyways, I cut the top off and have been waiting to pot it up, it's only been a week, and the stump with 8 pups had been outside in the full sun. I cut the top off because it was an ugly damaged Peru anyway, and I thought 8 pups would be growing really slow if the main stem was also growing.

Here's the photos.

The severed tip, showing the calloused split.

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Here's two shots of the stump with 8 pups.

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So is this witch's broom? Do I need to quarantine? What are the chances the stump has infected the cacti it's been sitting next to for a week? (It had a fresh open wound healing in the sun from the cutting)

Thanks

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post-16827-0-87769300-1447486768_thumb.jpeg

post-16827-0-27714100-1447486817_thumb.jpeg

post-16827-0-04513100-1447486837_thumb.jpeg

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Shit no ! Thats just a cut bustin to grow....

Witches broom ! pfft . its a myth i reckon....

Edited by mr b.caapi

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Not all those pups will grow big. Leave the strong ones to grow freely.

Any that stop growing should be sliced off and grafted onto something else, so get a couple of stock plants ready to go.

Witches broom growths look mutated, yours are nice and healthy lookin'.

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The pups don't look too freaky, it might have just been treated with BAP.

Surprisingly no BAP involved here. Perhaps it was a reaction to splitting at the base?

Thanks for the tip on cutting off the weaker pups, I'll try grafting them to some PC stock.

Edited by Conv3rgence
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yeh. no worries. :bootyshake:

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If all of those 8 pups throw 8 more pups each and the mother throws another 30 then its broom, most likely its just very healthy though :)

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yeh. no worries. :bootyshake:

Damn you mr b.

I'll get you one day you fiend...

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Damn you mr b.

I'll get you one day you fiend...

:wink:

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looks like what happens whe a happy cacus get taken to a stump. if the pups start to pup then its time to bust out the torches and pitchforks!

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Hi guys,

what you are thinking about this plant? A friend of mine is collecting monstrose trichocereus. He is thinking thats possible, that this is wich broom. Is this contagious? Thanks

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post-13962-0-75616200-1447847656_thumb.jpeg

post-13962-0-75616200-1447847656_thumb.jpeg

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That one looks like it possibly is diseased. It can be contagious I would definitely isolate that one I would be scared of leaving it near any other Cacti. Depending on the vector for the disease it could potentially spread to any plant not exclusively cacti

There is a very wide range of things that can cause witches broom, some of them like Fungi, Nematodes, Molds, Yeasts, Mites, Virus can be very contagious. In cacti I gather its usually a fatal condition.

Apparently in some trees people have grafted pieces of witches broom and resulted in a non diseased but heavily mutated form, could be worth a try. By the sound of that the disease may attack the genetics of a plant resulting in a permanent mutation even if it survives the disease

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yep huachuma yr pic looks like witches broom... but you know, maybe good things might happen with those viruses.. who knows? maybe a new monstrosa strain... or not . this number of pups is unhealthy anyways..

I had this happen once in one penis plant.. pupping like crazy then pupping from the pups.

I didn't guarantine it, I just cut them of and grafted them. The "infection" didnt continue..

if you ask me, I wouldn't worry too much about contamination

Edited by sagiXsagi

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