How to recover a cactus with fungi

Would you like to know how to recover a cactus with fungi? I anticipate that it may take longer than desired, since these are organisms that, once they enter the interior of the plant, advance very quickly while at the same time weakening it.

Although if the symptoms are detected in time, sometimes it can be saved. So let's first see what those signs are that we should pay attention to, and then what measures we should take to recover our beloved cactus.

How do I know if my cactus has a fungal infection?

There are a series of symptoms that will tell us that something is happening to the plant:

• softens, you can start from the bottom and work your way up. In severe cases, if it is pressed inward, we can feel an unpleasant odor.
• Thorns fall off easily. This happens because the cacti that have fungus have almost always (if not always) either received more water than they need (either rain or irrigation), and/or because they grow in soil that retains too much moisture. humidity. And it is that excess water (or humidity) favors the spread of fungi.
• spots will appear brown, blackish or orange, or gray mold.

What to do to recover it?

Measurements will vary a bit depending on how severe the cactus is. That is to say, if it does not have stains or it does have but they are very few and it is NOT yet soft, generally if the substrate is changed it will be enough. Let's see how to do it step by step:

1. First, we will prepare the substrate that we will put on it: it can be a mixture of peat with perlite in equal parts, but we recommend using small or medium grain pumice as it is a lighter material, and it dries faster, something that will come in handy better to the cactus. you can buy it here.
2. Then, we will extract the plant from the pot, and very carefully, with our hands, we will remove the substrate. We will also take the opportunity to take a look at the roots, and if there are any that are black, we will cut them with scissors previously disinfected with pharmacy alcohol or a little soap.
3. Then, we will apply polyvalent fungicide to the entire cactus, also to its roots. We will use rubber gloves (such as those used to wash dishes for example) to avoid direct contact with the product. This For example, it is an envelope of 50 grams that has to be diluted in 15 liters of water.
4. Finally, we will plant it in a new pot with the substrate mentioned before.

And from here, it will be placed in a place where there is a lot of light, but not direct. After a week we can resume watering, but always bearing in mind that the substrate must be allowed to dry completely between one watering and the next. If pumice is used, since it can be difficult to tell if it is wet or not, it should be watered more or less once or twice a week in summer, and once every 2-3 weeks the rest of the year, depending on whether it rains and the conditions. temperatures there are.

But What do we have to do if the cactus is very soft?

To nip the root problem, we must take a previously disinfected cuttex, and we will cut everything that is infected. It is a very drastic way, but it is also the most effective. Later, change the substrate following the steps explained above.

If you have to cut leaving the plant rootless, don't worry: impregnates its base with rooting hormones.

How to prevent my cactus from having fungus?

As prevention is better than cure, we are going to talk about how to prevent our beloved thorny plants from ending up being victims of opportunistic fungi. To do this, you have to know how often you have to water them.

Cacti are very sensitive to excess watering, so it is necessary to prevent the substrate from remaining waterlogged. One way to avoid this is to mix the peat with perlite or river sand, in equal parts, before transplanting it. You can also choose to introduce a first layer of about 2 or 3cm of volcanic clay or clay balls. Thus, the water drainage will be fast and complete, and the roots will not be moistened for longer than necessary.

We will water letting the substrate dry completely between waterings. In summer, with maximum temperatures above 30º, it is recommended to water 1 or 2 times a week; the rest of the year, however, it will have to be done once every 7 or 10 days or even less if it rains. If we go too far, the fungi will take the opportunity to make their appearance.

In addition, it is important to use light substrates, which do not retain water for too long, such as pumice, for example, or peat mixed with perlite in equal parts. Those very heavy soils, which are very compacted, are a danger for these plants, since the air circulates with difficulty between the granites that form it, and consequently, it remains humid for longer.

And to finish, you should not plant cacti -or any plant, except if it is aquatic- in pots without drainage holes. The water that remains stagnant in there prevents the earth from drying out, and that is why the roots drown. For this reason it is also not good to put a plate under the pots, unless it drains after watering.

If you want to know how to take care of a cactus, click here:

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