Question
Cactus Jack
Hello there.. I am hoping you can give me an answer to my question,since I have been searching for an answer for some time now.. and still no luck. Anyway... I have added a photo, can you please view it, and tell my what could be wrong with my cactus, "cactus Jack!"
He seems pretty healthy... He likes the sun since he was small.... I try not to over water, and he seems to be growing... but I'm at a loss.. please help!.. I don't want anything to be wrong with him.... Also.. can you tell me what type he is...??
THANK YOU SO MUCH
AnswerThis is classic etiolation which is defined as "Pale, sickly, excessive growth caused by insufficient light, incorrect feeding, or overcrowding." In general, cacti require lots of very bright light to be healthy. This level of light is extremely difficult to provide for plants grown indoors. South-facing windows (North-facing in the southern hemisphere) with no obstructions can give a cactus enough light to prevent etiolation, but even the brightest window in a house still does not capture as much light as the plant would like. Plants grown in windowsills will also lean towards the light as the inner side will be getting much less light than the side facing the sun. Artificial lighting doesn't stand a chance against the power of the sun.
Like yours, growth is often a very light green or yellow-green color. It forms a point almost like pulled taffy and is usually quite weak and flimsy.
Once a cactus has put on etiolated growth, the effect is permanent. While you can almost always bring a plant back to full health with a change of conditions, it will always be misfigured where the etiolation occurred. To correct etiolation, you need to get your cactus into stronger light. This is usually more sunlight or sometimes supplementing existing sunlight with artificial lighting. In either case, it is important not to simply take a plant out of the window sill and stick it out in full sun the next day. It must be gradually introduced to stronger light to prevent sunburn. Even healthy plants can get sunburn from a dramatic increase in light; in etiolated plants this could kill them. The best option for locations that are too cold to leave your cactus out year-round is to grow outside during the summer with nothing to obstruct light(and if you can't put it outside, put it in a south facing window where there is no light obstruction, remembering to turn it every few days) and then put the plant in a cool spot (45篎-50篎) with no water for the winter. A cactus with these conditions will sit dormant and can be kept with no light at all. Most will do fine or even better with this dormant period, including yours.
So if you can, gradually put Jack outside in full sun for the summer and from Oct. to March let him sit dormant. Gradually start watering again in March.
Jack will have a somewhat hourglass figure as he continues to grow normally.
By the way, if you haven't repotted in a couple of years, it's time. The marks look like some sunburn around the tender new growth. Did you put it out recently? The tissue will scar but it doesn't look like it's getting worse.
Maureen
Wow, you're tough.
