Based on your observations Keith, it sounds like the light watering you gave when the plant arrived was too much. I always have erred on the side of not watering after I receive new plants, especially if they had been bare-rooted or otherwise manhandled. My advice would be to wait several days to a week after potting up any plant that was bare-rooted before watering, and to water very cautiously after that until you see signs the plant has gotten in a good growth rhythm again. My potting soil is a bit moist to start with (definitely not bone dry anyway) and that small amount of moisture seems to be enough to keep roots from going south.

There is a difference between lacking chlorophyll and having other pigments, which folks have touched on... one can be masked by the other, but succulents without chlorophyll tend to be a cream color or off-white, to yellow. That's a big clue, and it tells you a few things, as a general rule. Any mostly variegated plant is going to be sensitive to sun shock (too much light or too much too fast). That effect can vary greatly from almost no difference compared to a green plant to cases where extreme protection is required, but the less green a plant has, the more sensitive it is likely to be. Also, variegated plants will be slower growing and require less nutrients and water compared to a normal plant. Think of them as some fraction of a normal plant, with that fractional growth rate and needs.

Finally the question of direct sun... if the sunlight has passed through a window, it is not direct. The difference is small in the visible spectrum (maybe 15-20% depending on how clean the glass is) but it can be significant in the UV spectrum (mostly blocked), and those are the rays which are most dangerous and harmful to plants. You always want to be careful to ramp up the light in a gradual, controlled way, but indoor sun is kinder than outdoor sun, which actually works to your advantage with a sensitive variegated cactus. I grow all my succulent seedlings on a south-facing windowsill that gets hours of sun every day and none of them have complained about the exposure. When I move them outside, I am always careful to provide filtered light or significantly fewer hours of sun until they have time to adapt.

Baja_Costero said:Based on your observations Keith, it sounds like the light watering you gave when the plant arrived was too much. I always have erred on the side of not watering after I receive new plants, especially if they had been bare-rooted or otherwise manhandled. My advice would be to wait several days to a week after potting up any plant that was bare-rooted before watering, and to water very cautiously after that until you see signs the plant has gotten in a good growth rhythm again. My potting soil is a bit moist to start with (definitely not bone dry anyway) and that small amount of moisture seems to be enough to keep roots from going south.

There is a difference between lacking chlorophyll and having other pigments, which folks have touched on... one can be masked by the other, but succulents without chlorophyll tend to be a cream color or off-white, to yellow. That's a big clue, and it tells you a few things, as a general rule. Any mostly variegated plant is going to be sensitive to sun shock (too much light or too much too fast). That effect can vary greatly from almost no difference compared to a green plant to cases where extreme protection is required, but the less green a plant has, the more sensitive it is likely to be. Also, variegated plants will be slower growing and require less nutrients and water compared to a normal plant. Think of them as some fraction of a normal plant, with that fractional growth rate and needs.

Finally the question of direct sun... if the sunlight has passed through a window, it is not direct. The difference is small in the visible spectrum (maybe 15-20% depending on how clean the glass is) but it can be significant in the UV spectrum (mostly blocked), and those are the rays which are most dangerous and harmful to plants. You always want to be careful to ramp up the light in a gradual, controlled way, but indoor sun is kinder than outdoor sun, which actually works to your advantage with a sensitive variegated cactus. I grow all my succulent seedlings on a south-facing windowsill that gets hours of sun every day and none of them have complained about the exposure. When I move them outside, I am always careful to provide filtered light or significantly fewer hours of sun until they have time to adapt.

I waited a week and a half to water the first time, two days after, the problems began. My soil was bone dry, so the water was minimal I added. For some reason the cactus didn't soak up the water fast. Light shock could of been possible, Mabye bleaching the little bit of green from the skin, further damaging and stressing the skin that then was affected by excess water, something green cacti probably wouldn't of had an issue with, as I have others and never had this issue ever. I do have the cacti partially sheltered from too much light.

Not much else to do, I don't have any to graft and being the color cutting the bottom I don't think it will survive to grow new roots. I'm just going to leave it be, if the rot stops then with careful care it *might* recover.

I would just remove it totally from any media and set it aside in a warm area with some bright light. But ideally I slice off the infected part, otherwise it is risking the rest of the plant. Cacti are good in making a callus, just got to keep it warm and dry. It will just be really slow, sometimes about a month or so slow, especially when it has gone into a lot of stress already. Good luck!

keithp2012 said:For some reason the cactus didn't soak up the water fast.

You can safely assume that a plant which has just traveled through the mail (after having been bare-rooted) will be in some state of shock, no matter how kindly it has been treated. Even if there are roots, they may not function very much or very well until the whole plant has accommodated to all the changes (being in the dark, then back in the light; being in one mix, then out, then in another; being in one climate and then another). During this period I would assume that the roots do not absorb much water, so most of the drying out will take place through evaporation. This is one reason why strong light is helpful (it promotes evaporation).

Plants that you buy at a nursery and plants you get bare-root in the mail are different in one critical way... the first kind can take off running, the second kind usually sort of blink and sit there scowling for days or weeks upon arrival until they accept their new environment. That adjustment period is going to be a low-metabolism, low-water use period with a relatively high risk for rot. Strong light but relatively little direct sun is important at first (indoor sun is great, maybe with a gradual introduction) until such time as the plant looks better and seems to have resumed growth. Whatever shortens the adjustment period works in your favor (and the plant's) down the road.

Baja_Costero said:

You can safely assume that a plant which has just traveled through the mail (after having been bare-rooted) will be in some state of shock, no matter how kindly it has been treated. Even if there are roots, they may not function very much or very well until the whole plant has accommodated to all the changes (being in the dark, then back in the light; being in one mix, then out, then in another; being in one climate and then another). During this period I would assume that the roots do not absorb much water, so most of the drying out will take place through evaporation. This is one reason why strong light is helpful (it promotes evaporation).

Plants that you buy at a nursery and plants you get bare-root in the mail are different in one critical way... the first kind can take off running, the second kind usually sort of blink and sit there scowling for days or weeks upon arrival until they accept their new environment. That adjustment period is going to be a low-metabolism, low-water use period with a relatively high risk for rot. Strong light but relatively little direct sun is important at first (indoor sun is great, maybe with a gradual introduction) until such time as the plant looks better and seems to have resumed growth. Whatever shortens the adjustment period works in your favor (and the plant's) down the road.

I understand now! The reason I watered in the first place was the mysterious vanishing of the green areas, I thought the temp change was overheating it and some water would help, guess it was too much light that triggered the change originally. Now I know at least.