GorrilaGardener Posted December 6, 2015 just noticed one of my pachanoi cuttings has these black wounds at the growing tip today, they must have only recently formed as i didn't notice them a few days ago. Can anyone tell me whats going on here? are critters attacking her? what can i do to remedy the issue? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wert Posted December 6, 2015 is it scale? if so pick them off. is she in a humid shaded enviro? I've seen one or two of my plants attacked in shaded moist enviro's? I may be wrong so take it with a pinch of salt. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Derkshaman Posted December 6, 2015 (edited) In my experience, sometimes trichs just end up with little black blemishes like that. They will scab over as raised bumps rather quickly and there should be no issue. Has it been especially humid lately? I usually notice it in humid weather. I know that even PC pachanoi can get black spots like this, but certain bridgesii plants seem to be the most vulnerable. I have one clone that ends up with these blemishes wherever your fingers touch, like when holding a cutting between the ribs. Edited December 6, 2015 by Derkshaman 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtarman Posted December 6, 2015 Looks like a kind of rot I've seen somtimes on other cacti, but it's usually not anything to worry about, just keep it dry for a while and let it be. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GorrilaGardener Posted December 6, 2015 Cheers for the input guys, it has been in a very shady spot - under the patio which gets little direct light. I have moved it into the green house so should get a little more heat. If anything it has been less humid the last few days, though very warm and humid the last week. I don't believe it's scale either wert, though I may be wrong? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rall Posted December 6, 2015 If it were me, I might hose it off as best could, then go at it gently with a soft toothbrush and Dakin's solution (http://www.virginia.edu/uvaprint/HSC/pdf/09024.pdf) for a bit followed by a rinse with the hose again. Repeat if it gets noticeably bigger leaving the Dakin's solution on the area for a longer period before rinsing. But this would be an educated guess and nothing more. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GorrilaGardener Posted December 6, 2015 why would you advise that treatment rall? as in what do you think it is to have caused it? it looks like the black bruising/scab that bridgesii's i have recieved in the mail had from transit damage. i find it weird though because i havent dropped it or hit/touched the growing tip that i'm aware of. If it is bruising is it safe to hit it with a toothbrush? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GorrilaGardener Posted December 6, 2015 if it helps i can take more pics tomorrow morning? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
spooge Posted December 6, 2015 It's summer man, slowly acclimatise it to outdoors where it should be. The black will either dissapear or grow out, minor scarring may be left. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtarman Posted December 6, 2015 Yeah if you're in SEQ there's no need to have your cacti in a greenhouse. Full sun, outside, set and forget. I doubt toothbrushing would do anything - that's only for scale and bugs and stuff, if it is what it looks like (black bruise/rot) taking a toothbrush to it will only aggravate it and make it worse, same for the hosing. Just keep it dry, keep it outside in a sunny spot, and hold off on watering it for a bit. They're tough cookies, you're more likely to hurt them by looking after them too much than by leaving them alone 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GorrilaGardener Posted December 6, 2015 that being said gtarman, it is a cutting that has not rooted yet, wouldnt it be harmful to expose it to full sun until it has taken root? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Evil Genius Posted December 6, 2015 Looks like a little bit of healed black rot. Nothing to worry about. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GorrilaGardener Posted December 6, 2015 also the green house stays open so humidity is not too high. i just put the cuttings waiting to root in there and small seedlings Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtarman Posted December 6, 2015 Well if it has no roots that's a different story, keep it out of the sun for a while. But I'd still say keep it out in the fresh air somewhere it can get a breeze and some ventilation. Besides the sun, the rest of my advice stands - keep it dry, don't water it, and just leave it alone for a couple of weeks. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ Posted December 6, 2015 (edited) no water on the black bits whatsoever !! defo an issue to ignore outside from what I gather from pros who outdoor grow but... if you really wanna put anything on it ,try a blob of alcohol handwash gel and garden sulphur powder (maybe with a toothbrush to apply it -till you can aim right) (best advice i ever got from EG for spidermites also worked for black rot but I tend to grow mine indoors) the alcohol is better than water for preventing it's spread (even by the tiniest splashes if you use water) and defo ventilation as Gtar says^^ Edited December 7, 2015 by ☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
klip247 Posted December 6, 2015 (edited) I had something similar on mine, black spots which were lumpy, they just went away after some time. No idea what it was. Edited December 6, 2015 by klip247 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GorrilaGardener Posted December 7, 2015 no water on the black bits whatsoever !! defo an issue to ignore outside from what I gather from pros who outdoor grow but... if you really wanna put anything on it ,try a blob of alcohol handwash gel and garden sulphur powder (maybe with a toothbrush to apply it -till you can aim right) (best advice i ever got from EG for spidermites also worked for black rot but I tend to grow mine indoors) the alcohol is better than water for preventing it's spread (even by the tiniest splashes if you use water) and defo ventilation as Gtar says^^ Cheers for the tip thunder horse. does it have to be alcohol hand gel, or can i use some Iso-propyl alcohol on a cotton swab? Well if it has no roots that's a different story, keep it out of the sun for a while. But I'd still say keep it out in the fresh air somewhere it can get a breeze and some ventilation. Besides the sun, the rest of my advice stands - keep it dry, don't water it, and just leave it alone for a couple of weeks. well Gtarman, i have moved it to a spot that only gets and hour or so sun in the morning, though I'm a bit worried if it rains while I'm not here. I live in a bit of a sucky spot in relation to the sun, under the patio is the only covered place to put them (besides the green house) but it doesn't receive any direct light through the day. Do cuttings waiting to root need some amount of direct sunlight to shoot them out? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtarman Posted December 7, 2015 well Gtarman, i have moved it to a spot that only gets and hour or so sun in the morning, though I'm a bit worried if it rains while I'm not here. I live in a bit of a sucky spot in relation to the sun, under the patio is the only covered place to put them (besides the green house) but it doesn't receive any direct light through the day. Do cuttings waiting to root need some amount of direct sunlight to shoot them out? Nope, they don't need direct sunlight at all when they're not actively growing, ambient will do just fine. once it's started to grow then by all means, chuck it out in the sun. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ Posted December 7, 2015 (edited) the alcohol in my handwash gel is Isopropyl so yes indeed , ... just the gel is easier and stays there longer is all ....so probably more of a convenience thing I guess as gel and its slowish melting allows it to be "steered" to the black bits further down the cactus [if it's one with more than just a mild and relatively low significance outbreak like yours] might be nice to try find an atomiser /sprayer that can handle alcohol without fatiguing any rubber parts or the like ... I did have one 'old fashioned style' brass one but it kept breaking so i got a refund in the end n gave up. -I suppose it's fairly obvious but just in case of readers who dont know or think of it :... watch out for flammability if it happens to apply.. - alcohol and all -another point where gel is easier controlled too Edited December 7, 2015 by ☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GorrilaGardener Posted December 7, 2015 Nope, they don't need direct sunlight at all when they're not actively growing, ambient will do just fine. once it's started to grow then by all means, chuck it out in the sun. By new growth, I assume you mean several fresh new spikes protuding from the growing tip? I can't really tell if they are putting any noticeable height on, though the tips have that fresh lime green colour to them which I don't remember being like when I received them. Sorry for the cascade of noob questions guys 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GorrilaGardener Posted December 7, 2015 the alcohol in my handwash gel is Isopropyl so yes indeed , ... just the gel is easier and stays there longer is all ....so probably more of a convenience thing I guess as gel and its slowish melting allows it to be "steered" to the black bits further down the cactus [if it's one with more than just a mild and relatively low significance outbreak like yours] might be nice to try find an atomiser /sprayer that can handle alcohol without fatiguing any rubber parts or the like ... I did have one 'old fashioned style' brass one but it kept breaking so i got a refund in the end n gave up. -I suppose it's fairly obvious but just in case of readers who dont know or think of it :... watch out for flammability if it happens to apply.. - alcohol and all -another point where gel is easier controlled too Awesome, I'll look into buying some next time I go shopping. But will get onto it with watered down ISO in the meantime Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtarman Posted December 8, 2015 (edited) Awesome, I'll look into buying some next time I go shopping. But will get onto it with watered down ISO in the meantime Still a mistake. It's up to you of course but putting any kind of liquid on it is a bad idea. At the risk of saying this for a third time: just leave it alone. The more experience you get with cacti the more you'll come to realise that trying to baby them and fix them any time some little goes wrong is a recipe for things going properly wrong. Unless the rot is severe or systemic (not very minor and mostly healed like yours is) then doing anything to it besides leaving it alone and keeping it dry is only going to make things worse. These plants have evolved to survive in harsh hot and dry conditions without human intervention, so if you're new to growing them you sort of have to un-learn a lot of the habits you're used to from growing regular plants and normal gardening. Just leave them alone and trust that they can look after themselves, it's what they do. And yeah by new growth I mean new spines from the tips etc. But many cuttings already have this when you pot them, like yours does so that gets confusing. I usually don't focus too much on the actual growing tip for this reason - I'll just leave them for a couple of months and if I don't notice new growth after that time I might (extremely) gently pull them and out to inspect for roots then proceed from there. Don't be sorry about asking noob questions either, we kinda like being able to actually help people around here...otherwise we just go back to sledging eachother and arguing about things that don't matter lol Edited December 8, 2015 by gtarman 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wert Posted December 8, 2015 yeah I would say with newly callused plants adjust them to sun gradually but immediately. the longer you leave them out of the sun the more there resistance to uv diminishes. so get them out there or you will end up with burnt crisps. taken from experiance. wert. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GorrilaGardener Posted December 8, 2015 Still a mistake. It's up to you of course but putting any kind of liquid on it is a bad idea. At the risk of saying this for a third time: just leave it alone. The more experience you get with cacti the more you'll come to realise that trying to baby them and fix them any time some little goes wrong is a recipe for things going properly wrong. Unless the rot is severe or systemic (not very minor and mostly healed like yours is) then doing anything to it besides leaving it alone and keeping it dry is only going to make things worse. These plants have evolved to survive in harsh hot and dry conditions without human intervention, so if you're new to growing them you sort of have to un-learn a lot of the habits you're used to from growing regular plants and normal gardening. Just leave them alone and trust that they can look after themselves, it's what they do. And yeah by new growth I mean new spines from the tips etc. But many cuttings already have this when you pot them, like yours does so that gets confusing. I usually don't focus too much on the actual growing tip for this reason - I'll just leave them for a couple of months and if I don't notice new growth after that time I might (extremely) gently pull them and out to inspect for roots then proceed from there. Don't be sorry about asking noob questions either, we kinda like being able to actually help people around here...otherwise we just go back to sledging eachother and arguing about things that don't matter lol ok dude, i get it, i'll leave it alone to do its thing haha. Its hard though with my OCD tendencies I will keep that in mind for my other cuttings though, i have been getting impatient and wanting to know if they had started rooting. I have been contemplating pulling them up to have a look, but have thought better of it and manged to practice restraint so far... Cheers dude, i have sort of felt like I'm annoying shit out of everyone with all my questions. Well if it entertains you i'm glad i could be of service yeah I would say with newly callused plants adjust them to sun gradually but immediately. the longer you leave them out of the sun the more there resistance to uv diminishes. so get them out there or you will end up with burnt crisps. taken from experiance. wert. Thats handy to know Wert, as i have been leaving them all in under the patio, a bit worried about exposing them to the sun. I sorta burned one lil guy slightly by letting him get a few hours sun in the arvo. gave me a bit of a shock as i thought that it was already somewhat acclimatised to the sun as when i got it from the nursery it was outside. silly me put back into shade for a week or two 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
