Question
Hi,

I inherited a Fairy Castle Cactus from my mom.  She had had it for 10 years and in that time it grew significantly. It always looked great in the past; however when she gave it to me I noticed that many parts looked slightly washed out, and some were yellowing.  I also noticed that it was potbound; she never repotted it in 10 years.  I am hoping that the washed out and yellowed parts are due to the fact that it needed repotting.  So...I potted it up, added some new soil (a lot sand/ cactus mix, and some general potting mix because I ran out of the former) added some rocks at the bottom for drainange, and watered it a bit with added cactus fertilizer (I think she only watered it with regular H2O in the past.)

So, did I do right by this Cactus? Or could it be discolored for other reasons?  And what else do I need to do to take care of this plant?  I really want it to thrive! Thanks!

Answer
Dear Adrienne,

Please excuse the delay in getting back to you, there was some type of server error keeping me from getting to your question.

I should have you repot my plants! Sounds like you did everything right. The only suggestion I have would be to use a product called "Superthrive" which you can get at most nurseries. Make sure the discolored areas aren't "soft", which might indicate rot. Yellow usually indicates a nitrogen deficiency, which the Superthrive will take care of. If it is shriveled, then it may just need some water. Good luck!

Sincerely,

Greg