Why Is My Cactus Curving

Although cacti are low-maintenance plants that can withstand harsh circumstances, they are nonetheless susceptible to stress. Your succulent may droop or topple over as a clue that anything is amiss. Why does the plant lean, and how can it be fixed?

The tilting and tipping over of a cactus plant is an indication of overwatering, underwatering, pest damage, root rot disease, or an excessively large container. To remedy the succulent’s drooping issue, repot it in a new container with just 2 inches of space on the sides and water it until the top 2 inches of soil are dry.

Can you bend a cactus back into shape?

Restarting will be your only option to get the plant back to straight because you cannot go back and fix it. More light will keep this plant from bending, iann wrote. It will grow straight up in bright light, particularly outdoors in the direct sun. It will typically lean against a window.

Why is my cactus leaning to one side?

Your cactus’ weak roots could also be the cause of it toppling over or drooping. This issue might also arise if your cactus is potted in a large container.

There are numerous more factors that could cause the roots of your cacti to weaken. For instance, if your cactus requires a time of dormancy, you must keep it in cool temperatures and just lightly water it once every five to six weeks.

Water evaporation but no water in the soil will result from keeping your cactus in warmer settings and ceasing all watering. It causes a cactus to dry up and kills the roots. A cactus may therefore become too weak to thrive when growth season arrives as a result of this.

Reason #3: Under watering your cacti

Your cactus will begin to wilt and droop if you overwater them. If you submerge your cactus, it may also become purplish in color and go dormant. Cacti that have not received enough water have dry cells, which results in a weak stem and a propensity to tip over or lean.

If you lower watering in winter, as was covered in the previous paragraph, you must maintain cool temperatures for your cactus. Given that your cactus continues to evaporate water even in cooler temperatures, you shouldn’t completely stop watering it. Although your cactus might somewhat shrink, there shouldn’t be any danger.

Root rot results from winter underwatering, especially when keeping cacti in warm environments. This could result in a weak and delicate cactus that will be stunned by higher watering rates when the growing season begins.

How can I prevent the curvature of my cactus?

You may have planted your cactus too loosely in the soil if it is drooping from the ground. Additionally, it can indicate overwatering. We all know that before the next watering, the soil where the cactus is placed needs to be fully dry. Otherwise, the ground will get looser and the earth will begin to harden around the cactus’ base. Replanting a cactus in dry soil or adding more soil around the cactus’ base are two possible solutions to this issue. Additionally, you can encourage your cactus to grow upright by covering the soil’s surface with a coating of gravel or small rocks.

What causes my cactus to warp?

Water, light, pests, and temperature are the four elements that affect the life of cactus when it comes to plant care. Your cactus will become stressed and start acting strangely if it receives too much or too little water, too little or too much light, pests (like mealybugs), or changing temperatures (and typically a mix of all four). Cacti are tough succulent plants that require little care but still need some water and attention to survive. A cactus plant may be stressed if its branches are drooping or sagging. Your cactus may get stressed and take on a sagging or drooping appearance as a result of inadequate water or sunlight, mealybug infestations, or some types of freezing damage.

Should I turn the cactus I have?

I know some people who steadfastly refuse to rotate the pots; in fact, they even mark the pots so that, in the event of a relocation, they will end up facing the same direction. They assert that the plant’s inclination toward the sun is natural.

My plants don’t rotate. The label on the pots tells me which side should be on the north (sunny) side. Any rotation, in my opinion, stresses the plants. Any plant with rapid growth may easily reposition its leaves and adapt to a new orientation, but cacti take much longer. When rotated, they can also easily burn from the sun (it happened in my collection).

How can you determine if a cactus has been overwatered or not?

The cactus won’t typically seem radically different from day to day because underwatering typically happens gradually over time.

There are a few indicators, nevertheless, that will let you know if your cactus is submerged.

Signs of an Underwatered Cactus

Knowing the warning signals of an underwatered cactus is crucial for prompt response. Your cactus will have a better chance of recovering if you do this.

The most typical warning indicators of a submerged cactus include:

The Cactus Is Light Green or Yellowish

Since this normally happens gradually over time, the color change might not be apparent right away.

If your cactus begin to become light green or yellowish, keep an eye out for more symptoms of an underwatered plant.

The Spines Are Falling off Easily

A well-watered cactus has roots that go far into the ground and take in water there.

Their root systems do not, however, work correctly while they are underwater because the dearth of nutrients in the soil leads them to wither away.

As a result, the spines become fragile and easily detach.

another typical indicator of a submerged cactus

The Cactus Is Wilting

Due to nutrient deficiency, their spines cannot support the plant adequately, which causes them to lose their shape.

As a result, plants that were formerly upright and in good shape gradually start to sag or droop.

Decay at the Base of the Plant

Roots will cease developing and begin to deteriorate over time if they are unable to absorb enough nutrients from the soil as a result of a lack of water, which will eventually result in decay at the base of the plant.

This usually happens gradually, so you may not realize right away if your cacti are underwatered or not.

The New Growth on Your Cacti Is Weak and off Center With Older Growth

Lack of nutrients will have an impact on how a cactus develops new limbs.

In this instance, you’ll see that the younger growth is somewhat deformed and less symmetrical than the older ones-another indication that the cactus has been submerged.

Can a dried-out cactus be revived?

Your plant requires a soak-watering if you’ve ignored it and you see wrinkles on it. A cactus will absorb the water and swell up when you soak-water it, and the plant’s withered appearance will go.

Carefully insert a 6-foot stake into the hole. Once the stake is in place, use a shovel to scoop the soil back into the hole. The stake should be buried about halfway to prevent bending from the weight of the cactus. To hold the cactus straight, pick a stake made of a robust material, such as bamboo or hardwood.

Cut off the tape’s loose ends with a pair of scissors after tying a loose knot in it. Avoid wrapping the cactus with the tape too firmly. If you tie too firmly, you risk damaging the surface and inviting pests and infections.

What does a cactus that is dying look like?

Possible dead cactus symptoms include: Cacti topple over or are exceedingly flimsy in the ground. Spikes could come off. These two symptoms point to both root rot and overwatering. Yellow turns brown in color.

Do I need to support my cactus?

It’s appropriate to stake them. Cacti that are planted lower will have their roots rot. Because their roots are so little, succulents and cacti frequently have to perform a delicate balancing act as they get taller. Maybe you could improve and minimize the skewer mechanism you use to stake them a little. Bamboo stakes or bits of driftwood can provide stability and look good. In addition, if your cacti have arms or paddles sprouting from them, you can break those off and plant them in the ground so they can take root.

How frequently should a cactus be watered?

The most frequent reason for cacti failure is improper watering, whether it is done too much or too little. Cacti have evolved to store water for extended periods of time and can maintain moisture through droughts because they are endemic to arid regions and dry temperatures. They have a limited capacity, which is why over-watering can result in a variety of issues.

When it comes to regularity, watering your cacti will largely depend on the season but also on the variety. Checking the soil is the easiest technique to determine whether your cactus needs water: It’s time for a drink if the top inch is dry. That entails applying the “soak and dry procedure” on cactus.

What is the soak and dry method?

The soak and dry technique is thoroughly wetting the soil until part of it begins to flow out the drainage hole, then waiting until the mixture is nearly dry before wetting it once more. If done properly, this strategy will help them endure a period of under-watering should you need to travel or leave the house because it takes use of their natural tendency to store water (or if you just get busy and watering falls to the wayside, as happens to all of us now and again).

Watering during the growing season versus the inactive season

Like with many houseplants, the season affects how frequently you need water. It becomes more crucial that you get in the habit of examining the soil to determine whether your cacti are thirsty. A healthy cactus needs watering every one to two weeks during the growing season, according to general wisdom. The frequency changes to once every three to four weeks during the off-season.

Even then, it’s crucial to examine the soil. The same way that not all interior spaces and not all cacti are alike. The only way to be certain that your cactus require watering is to carefully examine the soil to determine how dry it is because there are so many different factors.

Did I water my cactus too much?

Here are a few frequent problems that many plant owners have when trying to determine the best approach to take care of succulents and cacti.

Cacti and succulents adore light. No succulent or cactus we’ve ever seen wants to sit on your gloomy office desk, even if some species (for succulents, try haworthia or gasteria; for cacti, try epiphytes like rhipsalis and hatiora) can endure lower light. To thrive, these guys need to be close to a window, ideally one that faces south so they can make the most of the sunlight. The first step in determining whether you are prepared to care for succulents and cacti is to choose a light spot in your home.

When they don’t receive enough light, succulents exhibit peculiar behavior. If your succulents require more light, you’ll frequently notice yellowing in them. Bright pink, purple, or yellow colors frequently return to simply plain green, while deep green will eventually fade to pale green.

The development habits of succulents are similarly impacted by inadequate light. Succulents frequently become long and spindly in an effort to reach for the light. Sempervivum and echeveria species, which typically grow in rosettes, may suddenly start growing tall and reaching for additional light.

Likewise with cacti. As the cactus strives for light, what was formerly dark, robust flesh may turn pale. Additionally, just like “reaching succulents,” cacti that don’t get enough light will exhibit odd growth patterns. Etiolation is the process of new growth being significantly smaller than the rest of the plant; occasionally, long, tendril-like branches or unusually skinny new growth on the top of the cactus will emerge.

Succulents and cacti can bounce back from too little light, but the etiolated growth habit is irreversible. If the strange growth pattern bothers you, consider trimming it off. Many succulents and cacti may flourish after pruning. The new growth that appears should be “normal and non-etiolated” as long as you relocate your plant to a position where it will receive enough light.

Finally, because the soil will remain wet for too long in the absence of proper light, root rot might also result. See if your plant might be experiencing root rot as a result of inadequate light by seeing the photographs of it below.

Most cacti and succulents can withstand direct sunlight. However, if your plant isn’t used to it, using too much can be hazardous. For instance, moving a succulent or cactus onto the porch for the summer (very recommended!) and suddenly exposing it to 3 or 4 hours of direct sunlight per day will cause it to burn.

Burn typically manifests itself on your cactus and succulents as browned or calloused flesh. Your best approach for recognizing burn is to look for discoloration, especially on the side of the plant facing the window. A coarser texture will develop on the burned leaves or meat compared to the remainder of the plant.

Burnt leaves cannot be repaired; you can either remove them by pruning or by changing the surroundings so that your plant receives more suitable light.

Succulents and cacti should be moved outdoors during the summer, but do it gradually to give them time to become used to the brighter environment. Start them off in a shaded outdoor space (which will still be brighter than your living room, most likely), and gradually increase their exposure to light over the course of a week or two.

not enough It is undoubtedly safer to provide too little water than too much in the context of caring for succulents and cacti. Despite this, succulents and cacti do require water, particularly in the spring and summer when they are actively growing.

The problematic issue is that having too much or too little water can sometimes appear alike. However, if you err on the side of caution, you might reasonably assume that you are under-watering if your plant exhibits the following behaviors.

When succulents receive insufficient water, they frequently pucker. Because they store water in their foliage, succulents and cacti are lush and meaty. The plant relies on these water reserves to live during dry spells. As the plant physically consumes its water stores, the flesh will start to shrivel or pucker. As observed in these jade species, this typically begins on the lower leaves and moves its way up the plant:

Here’s another illustration of a succulent that is thirsty (a few of which often happen to be etiolated from low light). Observe how they seem a little bit shriveled:

Additionally, a dry cactus may pucker or shrivel in addition to discoloring (usually getting brown and dry, or calloused).

Give your cactus and succulents a nice, thorough watering if they exhibit these symptoms. But always choose cactus or succulent soil that drains properly, as your plants won’t want to stay in wet soil for very long. The leaves should quickly re-puff up!

too much From only a picture, it might be difficult to tell whether a cactus has received too much or too little water. Without knowing how much water it received, for instance, it would be difficult to determine whether this opuntia cactus received too much or not because the symptoms are frequently similar:

However, a succulent or cactus that has received too much water will feel mushy rather than simply puckered. These plants can store a lot of water, but once that storage capacity is exhausted, the plant will literally come apart as the cell walls and roots decay. This results in them becoming mushy, and it’s a crucial distinction that may help you distinguish between over- and under-watering while also looking at your own watering practices and the surrounding environment.

Overwatering is characterized by a variety of symptoms, including browning or blackening of the plant’s leaves or stems, browning or blackening at the plant’s base, mushy or leaky plants, and plants that are practically decomposing in front of your eyes.

Gently remove your succulent or cactus from its pot and look at the roots if you suspect decay. When a plant has brown or black roots, it

To cool Because they are native to desert settings, the majority of succulents and cacti are well-suited to freezing nighttime temperatures (jungle cacti, for example). Most succulents and cacti prefer chilly nights, especially in the winter. In fact, several species, such jade, christmas cactus, and epiphylum, bloom more readily in colder climates.

Low temperatures, however, can be an issue indoors because they frequently coincide with high humidity levels. When you water your cacti and succulents in the cool winter months, the soil will remain moist for a lot longer than it would in the hot summer months. You guessed it: root rot results from cool, damp soil.

Pay close attention to your succulent and cactus watering schedule if your house gets quite cold in the winter. You might only need to water your plants once a month or even less, depending on their type, size, drainage capabilities, and pot. Additionally, we advise erring on the side of caution when it comes to winter watering and giving the plant a moderate amount as opposed to completely soaking the soil.

The procedures outlined above for identifying over-watering are the best approach to determine if too-cold temperatures are having an impact on your succulents and cacti.

too warm Cacti and succulents are particularly skilled at tolerating high temperatures since they can survive cold temperatures for the same reason! After all, the desert is a region of extremes.

However, excessive heat in an indoor growth setting frequently causes watering problems. If your plants are outdoors in the heat, they will quickly dry out. Depending on the heat and exposure, you might need to water your succulents and cacti twice a month or even every week.

When put in a window, excessive temperatures can also be a problem for cacti and succulents. Plants can be burned by the sun’s heat coming through glass since it tends to be more intense. Utilizing the detection procedures outlined under “too much light,” check for burn.

What cacti-related issues have you had? How are succulents cared for? There is so much to learn, and we’d love to learn from you. Please share with us in the comments.

Have inquiries? For a chance to have your issue addressed in the upcoming episode of Pistils Rx, feel free to post it in the comments section or send us an email with images.