Hi all, I have a cactus my father gave me around 7 years ago. My dad passed away about 5 years ago and I've had the cactus ever since and really want to keep it because it has a lot of meaning. He gave me two of them but the other one died about 6 months ago and this last one appears to now be having the same problem the other one did that died. I've added some photos of what it looks like now. The cactus is about 20 inches high and I usually water it with a glass of water about once a month. I live in an apartment that's usually around 75 degrees and there's not much sunlight at all. The cactus seems to be developing some rotting of some sort if I had to guess but I don't know much about cacti. It looks like it's coming from the bottom and almost working it's way up but I'm not sure. The top 6 inches or so of the cactus appear fine. I've done a little YouTubing and I'm wondering if the roots are rooting and if I should attempt to cut it and re-pot it. I've never done that though and don't want to lose the cactus so I was hoping someone could help me out. Could someone please tell me what they think and provide some recommendations? I would greatly appreciate it and can provide private contact info if needed. Thanks so much!

You cant save it. It needed a lot more light,better soil, and less water.

Would it be worth the effort to cut off the top part that currently appears fine and then attempt to re-pot it to see if that part could survive? Thanks for your help.

That would be the logical course....if the top part was healthy in the first place....
In case you hadnt noticed, the top has those black fungal spots too, and is unhealthy etiolated tissue....

You can always get a new plant. I was passed on plants too , but since they were old and not succulents i couldn't take care of them properly.
The plant you have is called trichocereus pachanoi. Its common name is the "san pedro" cactus, given its popularity among mescaline addicts.
However, mescaline rich specimens are very rare in cultivation(legaly regulated), and its also popular for its fast growing speed, ease of care, and use as a grafting stock for difficult plants.
This should be a fairy easy plant, as long as it has lots of light, the soil drains a lot, and is watered properly.

Oh, forgot to mention, its possess white night blooming flowers.
http://www.llifle.com/Encyclop...

I think the plant is lost at this point. It went too much time without sufficient light. You could in theory save it by cutting the top and re-rooting it, but that would only end up badly if you couldn't provide more light. These plants do not do well indoors without a whole lot of sun. The sun should hit the plant for hours a day in that kind of situation.

Why don't you just "try" to propagate a cutting and see what happens. You don't have anything to lose. The people who responded to you are definitely experts though, I am not. Sorry about your plant!!

Mindi

Thanks everyone for the responses. I greatly appreciate it and hate to see this thing die. I may try to cut the top part and give it a last chance even though I know it is unlikely.

Does anyone know where I can buy a replacement of this same cactus? I figure there may be somewhere online. I live in Charleston, South Carolina so not sure if there's anywhere near here that would. Thanks again!

You have stores...but
There is always cactusstore if you want to order online..
http://www.cactusstore.com/cat...

WJH85 said:I may try to cut the top part and give it a last chance even though I know it is unlikely.

If you do this, use a sharp blade and cut straight across the stem. Inspect the cut surface carefully to be sure that rot has not reached that high in the plant. Leave the cutting in bright shade, somewhere with good air flow, so that it can heal. Wait a couple of weeks and then pot up the cutting so that it sits on top of the soil, not buried in it (about half an inch of buried stem is okay). Do not water right away. Wait a week or so to water. Then water sparingly, only when the soil has dried out at depth. There is a risk of the plant rotting out through the injured surface over the winter, so you need to exercise discipline with the watering can until spring, which is probably when the cutting will start to grow again if it has rooted.

The rescue will likely be unsuccessful unless you can provide different conditions from the ones the current plant is in. Lots of light is key, like a position right in front of your sunniest unobstructed south-facing window (assuming you are in the northern hemisphere). Use soil with good drainage (like regular potting soil mixed with an equal volume of pumice, perlite, or equivalent). Be sure the pot has holes at the bottom, is wider than deep, and does not exceed twice the width of the stem you are trying to root.

Ok, I'm going to give it a shot as a last ditch effort and try to change the conditions some for it. If it doesn't work, I will purchase a new one. Thanks everyone for the help.

No sign of rot means no brown discoloration anywhere. The tissue should be bright green with a green ring in the center.