my cactus has not bloomed yet as it is suppose to it is still very green and tender on top and has new growth but at the base it is truning a woody like brown hard and it has not bloomed yet. Can anyone help me save it. It was given to me by a lady that has passed away I have it had it ever since 2004. Please dose anyone have any advice to help me save it.
2007-12-03 09:14:43 · 3 answers · asked by bevnall 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
Are you talking about a "Christmas cactus?"
There is nothing "wrong" with the woody base with most cacti and succulents, that's normal and it is just getting older. Now if it was turning brown and soft and mushy THEN you would have a problem. But old growth (a good thing and sign of age) is nothing to become concerned about.
Below I'll give you two links both written by me. One of them is for getting your Christmas Cactus to bloom and the other shows you hot to take cuttings. If your question isn't about those feel free to disregard the links. But like I said above the brown hard "skin" is nothing to be concerned about. If it starts to turn brown and mushy or soft then worry.
Good luck with your heirloom plant.
2007-12-03 10:09:36 · answer #1 · answered by MrBrownThumb 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What kind of cactus do you have? A lot of types do get woody near the base as they get older. My Christmas cacti do this after a few years of growth, and so do a lot of my other epiphytes (plants that grow up on trees rather than on the ground, and this includes several cacti). If you don't like the woody appearance, you can make cuttings of these to start new plants, but they'll eventually get woody too.
I've had few columnar and barrel cacti do this, but they can as well.
Why it hasn't bloomed may be related to the kind of cactus you have. If it's a Christmas cactus type, they need a cooling period to bloom. I keep mine on my back porch, then when it starts to get cold, I put it in my garage which isn't as warm as my house. It still flowers every year. If it's a barrel or columnar type (desert cacti) it may need stronger or longer periods of lighting, especially if you live in the north where days get shorter in the winter.
2007-12-03 10:12:12 · answer #2 · answered by Dean M. 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the brown part at the base is where the cactus is establishing ahard base this fine useually the brown base will not bloom however the rest of it should try watering a little more often mayby some maricale grow
2007-12-03 10:55:58 · answer #3 · answered by ezdoesitplay 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋