Question
HI Greg
Found you on the net, hope you can help me and my cactus "Alfie". 30 year old candelabra cactus, 8 feet tall was in perfect health until about one month ago and looks like he is trying to die. Sorry Alfie, not allowed!!
He was looking a little droopy, arms starting to bend about 2-3 weeks ago. Fell over out of his pot 1 week ago. Roots came loose, stem did not bend. Current update, most branches up to the 3 foot height are dead, stem shrinking, 3-6 foot starting to wilt, 6-8 foot looks like it could be transplantable if I move quickly. HELP PLEASE !!

Does it matter how far above the dying part I cut the stem. Is the stem better cut on a slant, a v shape or flat cut?

Storing him to dry; in light? dark? vertical? horizontal? any cut dressing? homeopathics? liquid trace minerals? homeostatic soil organisms? Are any of the previously listed recommended for soil treatment when replanting.
what feel does the cut have or look like when the cactus is ready for replanting?

I look forward to your reply and rescuing Alfie the Cactus Exrordinairus. The only other candelabra Cacti I have seen are in Central America and the Calgary Alberta Zoo

Answer
Greg,

See below:

Does it matter how far above the dying part I cut the stem. Is the stem better cut on a slant, a v shape or flat cut? A slant cut about 2 inches above the dead part. Make sure there are no spots or discoloration in the cross section as that indicates rot. If you see rot, keep making cuts about an inch apart until you don't see it anymore. Clean the knife between each cut.

Storing him to dry;
in light? Yes, but not direct sunlight
dark? OK
vertical? No
horizontal? Yes
any cut dressing? Some people use sulfur, I don't use anything
homeopathics? No
liquid trace minerals? See below
homeostatic soil organisms? ??
Are any of the previously listed recommended for soil treatment when replanting. Rootone and Superthrive are 2 products I would recommend.
what feel does the cut have or look like when the cactus is ready for replanting? It will be hard and calloused which should take a couple of weeks. Do not re-use the soil you have and water only when the soil is dry. If it roots, it can take a few months this time of year. Good luck!

Sincerely,

Greg