Cactus

[KimmyMarkks]

I had a little cactus on my windowsill and it seems like one day it dried up and died. I always thought cactus' were some of the easy plants to keep alive because they don't need much watering or care.
I was so surprised since it got a lot of light.
Has this happened to anyone before?

 

[Java Guy]

How long had it been since you watered it Kimmy? You are right, succulents are very easy to care for. Give them light and water them a couple times a month and that's all. I have a small jade tree I have been growing from a cutting and I water it twice a month. Usually you can tell when a succulent needs water by how stiff and full it feels. About a week after the soil in my plant has gone dry I notice it looking limp. I thoroughly water it at that point and it perks back up.

 

[KimmyMarkks]

I had it for about a year, and was watering it once a month.
At first it was fine, then one day it just dried up and died. It was the weirdest thing. I ended up just throwing it out. It was only a couple of dollars so it easier to just buy a new one.

 

[zigs]

The one good thing I got from the divorce was Owcho the Cactus

He'd been neglected by the last mrs Zigs, left in a tiny pot with no nutrient and used as an ashtray at parties

Repotted him into spent mushroom compost and kept him in the greenhouse, he loved it

Just moved him into the propagator at the National Trust house where I volunteer, as being homeless I can't keep him frost free over winter

 

[alexiskilgannon]

That is super surprising to hear. I've never had issues like that with cacti. I love cactus because it's so incredibly easy to maintain and you can't really over water or over sunbathe it. I wonder what the issue was here. I've never experienced anything like that with my cacti. Even with watering it once a month, it should have been fine if this is what you were doing the whole time. I'm sorry about your cactus.

 

[IcyBC]

I was at the Home Depot the other day and wanted to get some cacti for my kitchen window sill, but I ran out of time when I needed to make a decision quickly. I plan on coming back and get some. Hopefully, I can keep them alive.

 

[KimmyMarkks]

Usually they are pretty easy to keep alive! That is why I originally got it. I've actually never heard of them drying out that is why I was so surprised. I think they are so beautiful, and there are so many different styles of plants. They are definitely one of my favorite indoor plants.

 

[arthnel]

Usually Cactus plants are very resilient. They don't go from healthy one day to shriveled up the next. @KimmyMarkks It would be good for you to check if some other substance may have been thrown in the pot that got to the roots. It may have been an accidental throw out of some household detergent or bleach or something like that. Nothing else comes to mind.

 

[SucculentsGalore]

What type of cactus was it? It may have needed repotting, depending on the type. Certain succulents needed breathable soil, if it doesn't drain properly it can cause root rot. Make sure to keep well draining soil and repot when necessary.

 

[KimmyMarkks]

This is what it looked like.
I threw it out since then but yes you’re right. I was surprised that it died. I must have accidently dripped something in it L.

 

[arthnel]

If you haven't done it as yet you should go out and get another or some other nice house plant. Not that the one you had before is just easily replaceable but you sound like it gave you some nice company. I detected real hurt in your loss of that cactus. So ease the pain and go get a nice one again.

 

[claudine]

It was a very pretty cactus! It's such a pity it died. I think that maybe the pot it grew in was too small.
I used to grow cacti when I was a teenager, but they all died from overwatering.

 

[arthnel]

@claudine I know that cactus plants are resilient when it comes to not needing water frequently, but I had no idea they would die from over-watering. If it died overtime then maybe it was the pot size, but if it just took a day or two to wither and go south then it may have been something more dramatic that shocked the plant. Either way, we live and we learn so try to get another nice one and treat it extra special.

 

[Trellum]

@KimmyMarkks That never happened to me, but it happened to my dad. His died because he over watered it (he had the tendency to over water everything really). But I think in your case you almost never watered it? I think it would take a long time for a cactus to just dry and die. But that sometimes happens, because some people think cacti need no water, but in the nature they do get water every other time, so they try to make the most out of it.

 

[KimmyMarkks]

I've heard of people killing plants by over watering them. Cactus is one and another one is an aloe plant. My friend said she gave her aloe plant too much water and it killed it. Apparently you are only supposed to water it once a week and about a half of a cup.