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| I need some urgent help. I have (or should I say 'had') a lovely Uebelmannia Pectinifera (Ube for short) which was seed grown and is about 4 years old. When the spring season started, I started watering my cacti over generously and the result was that yesterday I noticed that the Ube had started rotting at the base. As an emergency procedure, I have cut off the rotten part (which in turn has completely removed the root base of the cactus). I have now kept it for callousing. Does any one know whether it will root again - I CANNOT afford to loose this. Also, are there any other remedial actions I could take? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by littlelisie z11, QLD, Aust (My Page) on Sun, Nov 30, 03 at 23:06
| Hi AJ again, How terrible, especially with a hard to find plant like that! I'd dust it with fungicide powder, I hear Rose Dust works well, and lay it on top of some dry sand and cross your fingers. Where is the cut, just at the 'neck' area of the cactus above where the roots were, or further up? You may just have to wait for a while for it to do it's thing, be patient (don't keep picking it up to check!), and don't hold your breath (you'll turn blue). I had a Gymno horstii that developed rot at the soil line, and spread so quickly I ended up chopping it literally in half, from top to bottom, with no roots left either. I threw it away three times before digging it up outta the bin and leaving it on the windowsill to callous over. A month later I planted it, and now a year later it's still a funny looking thing but happy, healthy, and actively growing, and I'm hoping for flowers next year! All the best, Lis :) |
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- Posted by ajaykamath VIC Aust (ajayk@mainstreamsoftware.com) on Sun, Nov 30, 03 at 23:09
| Thanks for your help Lis, I have done just that and am keeping my fingers crossed. The Ube was cut about quarter way up (leaving 75% of the plant to callous). It has calloused and now I have place it on some moist sand/coco-peat mixture. |
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- Posted by littlelisie z11, QLD, Aust (My Page) on Tue, Dec 2, 03 at 22:35
| Hi AJ, me again, Have just been looking thru an excellent German Astrophytum site which has photos of nearly every aspect of cultivation. It has a small section on renewing roots on cacti which have either been chopped as yours has due to rot, or have lost their roots for whatever reason. Basically you can see how slow the regrowth is, but that it actually will get there in the end - at 6 months there are still only very small roots, but then another 6 months later it's got a very good root structure, I'd say as much as you'd normally expect anyway. So it's something that will start off VERY slow, but then as it picks up and the plant comes to life again, gets increasingly faster. After being patient and waiting for your plant for a year, that'll definitely be an exciting time for you to see that happen at last! I'd probably leave your plant on dry sand, rather than moist, as the plant won't absorb any of it anyway and it'll only promote mould or more of the dreaded rot. Given that these photos show that it'll take at least a few months to get even a start on growing roots, it simply won't be taken up by the plant until then. Hope this helps, Lisa :) |
Here is a link that might be useful: Astrobase 'renewing roots' photo section.
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- Posted by ajaykamath VIC Aust (ajayk@mainstreamsoftware.com) on Tue, Dec 2, 03 at 22:46
| Yes, Its very logical that the moisture present would be of no use to an unrooted plant. I'll leave ti dry out and wait. Until then I will be on tetherhooks.....Thanks for the support !! :) |
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| Hi, I found that Uebelmannia are very difficilt on their own roots. At least for me. So when mine lost tis roots, I grafted it on a low Echinopsis stock. It's growing fine since then and as the stock is low, I'll be able to camouflate it later. Pieter |
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