pesticide safe for cacti?

[Mr. Kush]

Hello everyone, I appologise if this has been discussed already a bunch. I'm new and not to good at searching the forums yet...forgive me please:) However I am really excited to participate here as I love cacti and well any enthnobotony.

My main question is, does anyone know of a safe pesticide thats ok to use on cacti that will not damage the skin in any way?

so far I personally havent heard of any good ones, I want to make a tea/spray with the N. Rustica(tobacco), as I know that works great on alot of things but not sure for the cacti, I have been noticing alot of really little red looking insects on my cacti..it's really bothering me.

I have alot of black spots that are forming on my Trichocereus bridgesii, could this be from the bugs/insects?

any ideas on how to treat these black spots?

Thanks in advance everyone/anyone, real good community you got here...Peace:)

[Pacha]

Usually black spots develop on wounds, some kind of infection causing trichs to bleed black ooze. In my experience they are nothing to worry about, just don't water until they are getting dry and become scabby.

[Snaggletooth]

Confidor(Root drench/foliar) Very effective, low toxicity, systemic. Re-treat two weeks after first application.

Azamax (foliar) Extremely effective, made from a neem extract and far more effective than neem oil.

I do like using neem oil on some things, more as a preventative though.

[zelly]

I have alot of black spots that are forming on my Trichocereus bridgesii, could this be from the bugs/insects?

any ideas on how to treat these black spots?

 

black spots on bridgesii can only mean too much humidity & too much water. The best treatment is to dry the plants out & grow in a drier environment.

To control bugs/insects I use a systemic foliar spray on all my cacti. Sometimes its necessary to use a toothbrush in conjunction with the spray to rid the plant of heavy infestations.

[Barking Lotus]

what about orange spots? one of my bridgseii's has some horrible looking orange spots that are starting to spread.. above mentioned pesticides any good to treat orange spots?

cheers,

BL

[Snaggletooth]

Orange spots, sound like fungus most probably rust. Not exactly sure what to treat this with, ...Probably a systemic fungicide i.e: Fongarid. If it is a fungus or rust or until you find out what it is, try to keep it away from your other plants, keep dry through winter, lots of sun, good ventilation, good drainage.

As with all plants prevention is better than cure, healthy plants can usually defend themselves without the need for fungicides and pesticides.

[Mr. Kush]

Thank you for the help everyone,

looks like I will be getting myself some systemic spray to combat the bugs. Yea high humidity would make since in my case at the moment, I live where it's beutifully sunny and warm however, I'm only a mile from the beach and these last couple weeks have been really humid/overcast.

hmmm, so in your guys experience whats the optimal humidity that your cacti do best in?

or where would you say is to much humidity?

I'm thinking I should probly just move them inside for right now as the humidity is not nearly as bad. It must be the humidity i'm thinking because the cacti that I noticed a fiew spots on are'nt even rooted(were recently cut from mother) and their sitting in practically dry soil.

[mutant]

Nicotine works for bugs, even mites, but not rot/fungal problems