A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The House Plant Forum Cacti and Succulents Indoors Is it thumbs down for my cactus???

I have three mammillarias - hahniana, bocasana & matudae. The first two appear to be doing well (the tiny bocasana is flowering), but the matudae seems to be imploding. It looks like a slowly deflating balloon .They were all bought about the same time, from the same store & were supplied by the same grower. Everything about their living conditions is identical, so I am at a loss as to what is happening to the matudae . Should I just cut my losses & replace it?? As a newcomer, cactus-wise, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I'm not sure what the problem may be. But I would segregate it from the others in case it is contagious, i.e. some type of rot, fungus or insect that could infect the others. Someone will come along with a better idea soon.

Thanks jonni13. They are in adjoining pots attached onto a tray, so I think I shall evict the matudae & put it in the rubbish bin. It does look like a lost cause, I,m afraid. Hate to admit defeat, though. Would still like to know if there is a known cause for this type of collapse. Thanks once again.

Generally, 'cactus collapse' is from overwatering. They don't need much. The pot you have them in sounds like it could be glazed and you can't vary the water much as they are all draining into and reabsorbing from the same tray. Cacti do best in unglazed terra-cotta, on the smallish side, with a quick draining soil, in full sun. They also take a dry rest in winter (from Thanksgiving to Valentines' Day I don't water mine at all). Here's a cool pic of older Mam. Matudae.



http://www.dkimages.com/discover/Ho...laria-matudae/Mammillaria-matudae-1.html

The pots my cacti are in are plastic on a shallow tray, easily drained. There are stones at the bottom for drainage with good draining potting mix & they are in full sun for about 7hrs daily. Over winter, they received very little water, as per instructions,(but our winter doesn't really last long). Two of them are still doing well (touch wood!!). Have finally bitten the bullet & removed the matudae. Dissected it & found it was a hollow husk, dry as a bone, had no roots either. All this happened very quickly, too. Ah well, try again. The pic was certainly cool, that plant must be very old, sure is weird!! Thanks for your advice, it is much appreciated.