Should I Be Worried?

[tedzr]

Hi guys,

I've experienced the black rot on plants in the past. Never as bad as what is occurring with the T. Pachanoi seen in image 3. It has been on this pach for about 6 months now and it is not going away, I thought it was at one point but it is only getting worse.

It has also spread to my t. bridgesii which I adore. I think it's possible that it has spread via cross-contamination as it began to occur on the bridge after I soaked them both in the same bucket.

Do you guys think I should chop the offending limbs off the T. Bridgesii or let it try and work itself out? It's a bit worrying as I don't want it to get as bad as it is on the pach.

Thanks.

Tedz

Appearing on large, valued t. bridgesii.

Appearing on different limb of same bridgesii. It's spreading.

appearing on t. pachanoi - both in same pot.

View of both plants in full.

Edited September 19, 2012 by tedzr

[Evil Genius]

Hi Tedzr, yeah looks bad. Dont think its terminal but i dont like the look of one of the spots on top of the Pachanoi. Its seems like it has a very fine white web on it which isnt that typical for black rot. But its still more likely to be black rot than anything else.

First thing i would do is changing the growing conditions. Dry and hot should it be now. Cutting the bridgesii would certainly be an option but i would be concerned about infecting the wound as it usually comes back on the areas that were cut. I would use sulfur on the roots and on the spots to get it under control. If you cut it, use charcoal powder or sprayable plaster to close the wound. Keep a very close eye on both of them and if it looks like its eating itself into the cactus, cut. But until then i would consider it to be just black rot. I would also use a good fertilizer to activate growth again.

Edited September 19, 2012 by Evil Genius

[myco]

Most black rot problems I've had it just stays on the surface as spots

And only appears where there's wounds it's almost like its throughout the cactus but does nuthing until a cut is made

It just seems to come up as a black calloused spot rather than your normal coloured callous

Can it really eat its way through your entire cactus and kill it

my limited experience with it is that it seems fairly harmless

Especially when compared to orange rot wich seems to eat through a cactus very very quickly at times and turn the whole thing to mush

That was my worst experience with the orange rot with a large grafted fricci I tried my best to save the 6-8 pups it had by regrafting

Unfortunately all but one where obviously infected with the orange rot despite not being able to even see any signs of it

And all but one turned to complete mush within a few days to a week

Needless to say I was not happy

This was also the most expensive cactus I have ever bought to this day and it was only in my possession for a few months before it went down hill I wish I knew it had orange rot before I bought it

As soon as I got it it was obvious it had issues and it was packaged in the most shitty half assed way I could possibly imagine

[tedzr]

Thanks for the replies myco and eg.

On the pach, the black rot is quite bad to the extent where it's starting to bulge out of the plant and it's making it split at certain points. That 'web' at the top in the really black spot is just healing skin I think, it's sort of wrinkled and hard to the touch. That said, This particular pach has had problems with scale insects before it had problems with black rot. Also, I have tiny little spiders living on an around some of my cacti that I have let live in peace for quite a while though I have been declaring war on them a little bit recently as I think they might be causing damage.

I think I will uproot the pachanoi and dust them with sulfur, leave it to dry out for a little while before repotting them into different pots.

Re Organge Rot:

is this what it looks like?

Is anyone familiar with the beginnings of orange rot? I noticed it about two weeks ago when I noticed the black rot forming on the bridge in my first post. I spend a fair bit of time looking at my cacti and have not noticed this before.

Cacti diseases

I also noticed the black rot forming on a different pachanoi clone just before. Can anyone comment on the transmission of these cactus 'diseases'? Are they fungal, viral, bacterial? Does my hypothesis that it has been contracted through soaking plants in 'infected' water sound accurate? I also live in a saline coastal environment to the point where the brown scoria rocks at the base of some of my plants become white with crusted salt - could this have something to do with it?

Thanks, thanks, thanks,

tedzr.

Edited September 19, 2012 by tedzr

[GoOnThen]

It is a bit of a shock when your prized plants start oozing black tar like stuff from raised blisters. All of my plants that have had this have carried on growing as normal other than a ugly scar. I always thought this was something that happened more with bridgesii than other trichs as all of my plants that have been effected were bridgesii. One thing that I did find interesting when the first of my plants were effected was it was only on the one side of all the five or so plants. This happened to be the north west side which I think at that time of the year it was the side that got the most sun. There is an article around somewhere were the author believes this is due to heat / sun and then a bacterial infection.

I will try and find the article in the next few days

Cheers

Got

[Evil Genius]

Black Rot is a name for various diseases that cause black patches; its caused by fungi and bacteria. The most common one is a fungus. Its usually benign and does not kill the plant. It is contageous but usually not a problem for healthy plants to fight it off. Its like people who suffer from candida infections. Your soak probably infected the other one because it had a bad day or something like that. Like i said, it mostly affects weaker plants and if you strenghten the general health of the plant, it has usually no problems fighting it.

The orange spots are not orange rot. Trichocereus isnt a plant thats usually vulnerable to it anyway. You rather encounter it on Lophs.

Edited September 19, 2012 by Evil Genius

[tedzr]

Thanks guys, great info for an interesting topic. Thanks EG for putting my mind at ease and providing me with your expertise and practical knowledge once again. My plants definitely need a bit more looking after. I've realised that as you get more and more plants, they become harder to care for, especially when you don't have access to a hose or tap outside and have to do everything with a watering can / big ass container!

GoOnThen: What you were saying about the sun - I actually noticed this today. That pach was looking quite nice and I was admiring how well it was looking until I turned it around to the sun-facing side today and saw how sick it looked!

Edited September 19, 2012 by tedzr

[Evil Genius]

I've realised that as you get more and more plants, they become harder to care for

Tell me about it! ;) Just decided that i will grow less plants but care better for them instead. On the long term, its about the same outcome.

The Blackrot alone is not a problem and in 99 percent of the cases they survive it. But the tricky part is that they can also develope secondary infections that arent very easy to spot. An open wound like black rot is an invitation for other pathogens so you need to give them a good soil, nutrients and get rid of secondary problems like scale or spidermites. Very oftenly, the black rot is only able to get through because some other thing brought it out. Its like herpes and the infected plants who fought it off still have the disease hidden somewhere. You know, sometimes its already enough to keep them in a muddy soil for too long to cause black patches.

Edited September 19, 2012 by Evil Genius

[Mr. Bowser]

IME some bridge individuals are more sensitive to black spots than others, however the black spots seem to be more of a cosmetic than life threatening problem. As EG pointed out the black spot infection may weaken the plants immunity to other infections, I'd watch out for any mushiness around the base. I've lost a cactus that started off with black spots, and later the roots rotted out before I could save it. I'm fairly sure it was afflicted with two separate infections.

Personally, I like to keep the nutrient water/soil neutral to slightly basic, and I have read elsewhere the pathogenic fungi prefer acidic conditions. Not sure how this would affect bactierial infections... but tweaking the water pH usually helps my cacti turn the corner on black rot.

[turtle_hermit]

There is an article around somewhere were the author believes this is due to heat / sun and then a bacterial infection.

 

[qualia]

you should also separate them as well it spreads pretty easy,