sicklophs

[Guest alkira]

I've returned home to find my lophs are sick.

THey had been fairly robust, green and firm and they have now softened and sunken a little. I don't know whether they're been to wet or to dry and am not sure how to atleast stabalise them. I have brought them inside but up to the window on the north side, thinking it may have been the recent cold weather. Any suggestions anyone?

[Darklight]

Yeah, don't leave them too close to the glass or they'll get worse. Glass might be fine for allowing access to light but it gets extremes in temperatures and having many plants too close to glass panes can be disasterous.

We'd need more details to be really helpful...like, are the sunken patches discoloured? Where were your lophs located previously ie had you just relocated them outside the day before you left and they might be sunburned?

[shroomy]

is it cold where you live. i think i read in trouts notes that during winter they actually receed back into the soil.

[Guest Mesqualero]

If they are only a little soft and shrunken they should be ok.....If they are like shrivelled like prunes they might be a bit dehydrated.... if they are discoloured they may have been burnt a little by the sun..

I came home after being away for only three days and i thought i left it in a relatively shady place but it had been burnt badly on one side and now there is a bit of discolouration and a big scar...

but all in all they are pretty hardy little buggers... when my first loph was only little i had placed it on the window sill to get light ( cos in those days little william slept right next to me) and i came back and the wind had blown the blinds about and knocked little william off the shelf spilling him onto the floor.. but he was repotted and all was ok

anyway I don't know shit.. im just adding my little 2 cents

[Ed Dunkel]

My L. williamsii var caespitosa regularly shrinks when it comes to winter time. This is due to dehydration and is part of it getting prepared for the long haul through winter.

By the end of winter it is often half the volume but perks up quite nicely soon after some watering. Some of my other lophs don't do this as much or at all.

Apparently (I have been told) in the wild they shrink down flush with the soil level or below it during dryer periods.

If it gets mushy or discoloured then you might have a problem tho'

E D

[Guest Ramon]

As long as the colour is still green I wouldn't be too worried.

[Guest alkira]

thanks for all the info, relieved my concern somewhat. they're probably just preparing for the colder weather. Since i moved them inside the single button ones no longer look shrunken and the caespitosa var. has lost a little of the discoloration though has some wrinkles running parallel to the main buttons circumferance. THe only discoloration is afaint purple on some of the smaller buttons. I've had them outside under a high clear plasstic verandah with other cactii and succulents bunched together, which isn't such a good idea i guess, as they all seem to have different watering requirements. I just got a little concerned as another time one went this way, got mushy and was irretrievable. Probably watered it too much.

on another note, how succesful is separating clustered buttons and repotting in cactii mix soil? Do they need any special attention to take successfully?

THanks again.