Help with Overwatering

[doxneed2c-me]

I am having trouble getting the watering right for my cacti. I usually try to bottom water so I fill they baking pan the terracotta pots are in and usually leave it and it was working fine but recently it seems I lost a few cacti to root rot. I am definitely going to water less but does anyone have any suggestions as what to do. Right now I have a fan blowing over my cacti to try and dry the soil out a bit.

[mimzy]

There had been so much rain in Sydney over the past few week I have been getting worried about my outdoor collections. I would recommend making sure the soil is well draining and a little hydrophobic. I've had relatively good success with 30% river sand, 10% perlite and 60% fine seedling mix. Perlite is quite hydrophobic and will redirect a lot of top water down the sides of the pot rather than through the root ball.

[Sallubrious]

Bottom watering is OK but you can't leave them sitting in the water for long periods. Just leave them in the water for long enough to wet the soil & then get them out of it so they can drain off and let the soil become aerated again.

I usauly just hit them with the hose and only bottom water once every now & then or if I suspect the soil has become hydrophobic.

[Pie'oh'Pah]

I find using pot stands really help in getting the soil aerated again, do you keep them off the ground?

[doxneed2c-me]

They are on a baking sheet in terracotta pots so my problem is that they need to be off the baking sheet it seems.

[Pie'oh'Pah]

How large are the pots in comparison to the width of the plant?

I know I used to put them in HUGE pots hoping to build a massive root system.

All that did was keep the soil wet and make them a bitch to move.

[doxneed2c-me]

I have very small pots they are just seedlings hence my concern for their well being.

[zelly]

They are on a baking sheet in terracotta pots so my problem is that they need to be off the baking sheet it seems.

terra cotta pots usually have one drainage hole in the very bottom, not too conducive for a well draining soil.

I have very small pots they are just seedlings hence my concern for their well being.

if you want to leave the seedlings in their small terra cotta pots, I would recommend no baking sheet nor pan to collect the water, & i most definitely would forget about bottom watering and just water from the top with around a jigger full of water or less for each pot each time you water, which should be 2-3x monthly MAX.

why do plants grow roots? To seek out water & nutrients!! If there is no water, they will still grow roots looking for water!!

Make them grow roots by NOT giving them water!! Also, you should let the soil dry out completely between waterings.

[Dreamwalker.]

you may be able to save the tops if rot hasn't gone all the way..................graft them well clear of the rot

[doxneed2c-me]

I am going to buy these small metal racks (like for hot pots) and put the rack on the baking sheet and that way it can drain freely.

Thank you for you help. I tried to graft it. It is the second one the first graft dried out and fell off the pereskiopsis.

[Evil Genius]

Only water them when it´s hot and only water so much the soil is able to take in. If it´s hot, water them very well but throw away any water that can´t be absorbed from the soil within a few minutes.

And if i were you, i´d take a closer look at the water requirements of the particular Cactus Families that you lost. Some cacti only need a small fraction of others. Take a look at the conditions that exist on the natural habitats. For example, some chilenian cacti only need a few drops of water every now and then because it barely rains there. On the other Hands, Tricho´s from Ecuador can almost be seen as tropical plants. Other Tricho´s may not need as much water as others.

Besides, Root rot is oftenly caused by not enough fresh air. So if you have Rootrot on Plant that are kept inside, it´s no surprise because you should only water Inside Plants very very carefully and you have to make sure, soil is dry when you bring em in. Sometimes when you take Plants inside to overwinter them, they die because the soil wasn´t dry enough. You need to stop watering months before you actually take them inside to avoid that problem. As soon as it´s getting cold, stop watering.