#NightBloomingCereus
#FairyCastleCactus What’s going on with him with the brown? He’s not squishy. He was very dry. He’s in full sun 3-6 hours a day. His soil was hydrophobic, so I’m bottom watering him. Will that take care of the browning and hydrophobia?
9
Best Answer
@EarthlySoybean It looks like your baby needs more light. 3-6 hours isn’t enough for cacti or succulents. We lose far too much light and it’s intensity for our plants to thrive and should replace that loss with grow lights. The less light the plant gets, the less water or nutrients it requires. My suggestion is to get a grow light with white, red, and blue settings for your plants. Many come with timers however, I would leave the light on around the clock to make up for the light loss ithas currently suffered. You can either purchase light strips:
CXhome T5 LED Grow Light Strips with Timer Red & Blue & Full Spectrum Plant Light with Auto On&Off, Plant Lamp with 3 Modes 4 Level Brightness, Grow Light Bar for Indoor Plant from Seeding to Harvest https://a.co/d/br3KMZ3
Or
A stand:(This one makes my plants grow really well because of the violet blend)
Grow Lights for Indoor Plants, LED Full Spectrum Plant Light with Stand (Adjustable Tripod 15-60inch for Floor Plants, Red/Blue/White, 4/8/12H Timer with Remote Control) (Red) https://a.co/d/3WaIQ4o
Or a Clip on:
GHodec Grow Light for Indoor Plants,Full Spectrum Dual Head Desk Clip Plant Light for Seedlings/Seeds/Succulents,Adjustable Gooseneck & Timer Setting 3H/9H/12H,3 Color Modes https://a.co/d/1U19wo2
If you experience delayed drying of soil, you can purchase a heat mat to help it along:
AC Infinity SUNCORE S3, Waterproof Seedling Mat with Heat Controller 10" x 20.75", UL & MET Certified Heating Pad, for Indoor Gardening, Hydroponics, Germination, Cloning https://a.co/d/1ZlqeMT
CXhome T5 LED Grow Light Strips with Timer Red & Blue & Full Spectrum Plant Light with Auto On&Off, Plant Lamp with 3 Modes 4 Level Brightness, Grow Light Bar for Indoor Plant from Seeding to Harvest https://a.co/d/br3KMZ3
Or
A stand:(This one makes my plants grow really well because of the violet blend)
Grow Lights for Indoor Plants, LED Full Spectrum Plant Light with Stand (Adjustable Tripod 15-60inch for Floor Plants, Red/Blue/White, 4/8/12H Timer with Remote Control) (Red) https://a.co/d/3WaIQ4o
Or a Clip on:
GHodec Grow Light for Indoor Plants,Full Spectrum Dual Head Desk Clip Plant Light for Seedlings/Seeds/Succulents,Adjustable Gooseneck & Timer Setting 3H/9H/12H,3 Color Modes https://a.co/d/1U19wo2
If you experience delayed drying of soil, you can purchase a heat mat to help it along:
AC Infinity SUNCORE S3, Waterproof Seedling Mat with Heat Controller 10" x 20.75", UL & MET Certified Heating Pad, for Indoor Gardening, Hydroponics, Germination, Cloning https://a.co/d/1ZlqeMT
@EarthlySoybean I too don’t know anything about cacti but @SirLiquorice does and will be a great help.
@EarthlySoybean there are several reasons your cactus could be like this… it could be lack of light… meaning it’s not getting enough light… it could be root rot from watering it too much… it could be sunburnt… @FitSedum might be able to help you out…
@EarthlySoybean
Plants don’t only need water. Plants also need healthy, well-aerated soil to thrive. When it’s been a while between waterings, your soil can become “hydrophobic,” meaning the particles in your soil are literally repelling the water instead of allowing the soil to soak it up.
When soil dries out the particles can start to block out water. This can happen very easily with peat-based soils because peat is great for holding moisture but difficult to rewet once it dries out completely. This is a great reason to look for peat-free soils if you tend to be a forgetful waterer!
Another common cause of hydrophobia is compacted soil. This can happen to houseplants when the compostable parts of the potting mix have completely broken down and there’s less oxygen in the soil. Once this happens, your best bet is to repot with a good mix of compost and perlite for aeration.
If you’re watering your plant every week but the soil still is dry and feels rock solid, you likely have hydrophobic soil. You might notice the water glide over the surface of the dirt, down the side of the pot and out the drainage hole. Sometimes this can indicate your plant needs repotting. But if you know there’s plenty of root space in the pot, and your soil is dry as a bone, it could simply mean your soil has started to repel the water.
You can confirm that your soil is hydrophobic by dropping just a little water on the topsoil of your plant. If it sits on top of the soil without soaking in, or runs down the side of the pot, you know for sure that it’s repelling the water.
It’s easy to fix this problem. You have a couple options, here.
Option 1: Simply soak your plant in a bowl of water and pour some water on the top. After a while — think 20 to 30 minutes — the soil should begin soaking the water up from the top and bottom.
Option 2: If you tried the soaking method and it didn’t work, take your plant out of the pot and then soak it in water. Try poking a few holes in the soil with chopsticks or a fork. This should help aerate the soil and allow the water to be absorbed.
Option 3: If you’ve done all of this and the soil is still fighting the water, it’s time to get as much of this water-repellant soil off your plant’s roots and perform a full repot. Make sure to use plenty of perlite and peat-free compost to increase air in your soil, which will help prevent future issues.
The best way to prevent this from happening is to keep your plants on a consistent watering schedule so the soil never gets dry enough to repel water.
I hope this helps! Good Luck!
Here is an article about hydrophobic soil…
https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-fix-hydrophobic-soil-37064758
Plants don’t only need water. Plants also need healthy, well-aerated soil to thrive. When it’s been a while between waterings, your soil can become “hydrophobic,” meaning the particles in your soil are literally repelling the water instead of allowing the soil to soak it up.
When soil dries out the particles can start to block out water. This can happen very easily with peat-based soils because peat is great for holding moisture but difficult to rewet once it dries out completely. This is a great reason to look for peat-free soils if you tend to be a forgetful waterer!
Another common cause of hydrophobia is compacted soil. This can happen to houseplants when the compostable parts of the potting mix have completely broken down and there’s less oxygen in the soil. Once this happens, your best bet is to repot with a good mix of compost and perlite for aeration.
If you’re watering your plant every week but the soil still is dry and feels rock solid, you likely have hydrophobic soil. You might notice the water glide over the surface of the dirt, down the side of the pot and out the drainage hole. Sometimes this can indicate your plant needs repotting. But if you know there’s plenty of root space in the pot, and your soil is dry as a bone, it could simply mean your soil has started to repel the water.
You can confirm that your soil is hydrophobic by dropping just a little water on the topsoil of your plant. If it sits on top of the soil without soaking in, or runs down the side of the pot, you know for sure that it’s repelling the water.
It’s easy to fix this problem. You have a couple options, here.
Option 1: Simply soak your plant in a bowl of water and pour some water on the top. After a while — think 20 to 30 minutes — the soil should begin soaking the water up from the top and bottom.
Option 2: If you tried the soaking method and it didn’t work, take your plant out of the pot and then soak it in water. Try poking a few holes in the soil with chopsticks or a fork. This should help aerate the soil and allow the water to be absorbed.
Option 3: If you’ve done all of this and the soil is still fighting the water, it’s time to get as much of this water-repellant soil off your plant’s roots and perform a full repot. Make sure to use plenty of perlite and peat-free compost to increase air in your soil, which will help prevent future issues.
The best way to prevent this from happening is to keep your plants on a consistent watering schedule so the soil never gets dry enough to repel water.
I hope this helps! Good Luck!
Here is an article about hydrophobic soil…
https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-fix-hydrophobic-soil-37064758
@L06flower thank you. It was hydrophobic. I was relying on the app to tell me when to water, and somehow this one got skipped. I did #1, and it seemed to work. Thanks again and God bless.
@EarthlySoybean
Yes, I agree as well!
Yes, I agree as well!