Crown of Thornes

QuestionDear Greg, my crown thorns blooms in light-greens flowers instead of coral-red. Is the soil missing some mineral elements? What should i do to balance it? Thank you, Irina AnswerDear Irina, Actually, the

cactus thorns

QuestionMy boyfriend has several cactuses. There is one that I have no name for it is very tall with large needles, anyway my hand hit it and the needles poked me, drew blood and now my hand is swollen and painfull.

Save plant from cold and snow damage?

QuestionMy Peruvian Apple cactus was recently damaged from cold and snow. The upper parts of the columns appear to be rotting. Can I cut off and seal in some way to save the plant? I have had diffi

leaves

QuestionAloe Vera ------------------------------------------- The text above is a follow-up to ... -----Question----- There are some brown spots on the older outer leaves but none on the inner or most recent leaves

Cutting column cactus

QuestionShould I cut it where it is starting to grow out of the original cactus? Will it root better from there or in the middle of the growth??? Thanks Debi ------------------------------------------- The text a

So Lost...

QuestionHi, I will be so happy if you can answer my question because I know nothing about plants... People say i could kill a fake plant, thats how bad this is. My boyfriend knows this so for Valentines he thought i

cactus transpiration

Questionhow do cactus transpire? AnswerDear Samir, Generally speaking, the same as other plants, however the process of transpiration in a cactus happens at night. The stomata open at night in order to minimize th

Tall Cactus has toppled

QuestionOur large cigar (?) cactus (18) has fallen. Not sure how to upright or if it will survive. Any suggestions? My wife says, cut it off halfway stick top 1/2 in hole and it will grow new roots, but Im skeptical

Seedless Aloe

QuestionTo whom it concerns I have a 6 feet tall Aloe ferox that recently flowered but did not produce any seed.

Transplanting

QuestionGreg, I live in Kentucky and would love to grow cactus. I have several small plants that Ive kept in my window this winter. I know They need to be transplanted but I have no idea how to do it. &n

Replanting Euphorbia trigona

QuestionI have what I believe is a Euphorbia trigona, which I purchased about 25 years ago. (It was about 6 inches tall when I purchased it; it is now 52 inches tall). Unfortunately, it was significantly

San Pedro Cactus Discoloration

QuestionDear Greg, The upper 6 to 8 inches on my cactus is turning a dark purple to black. Is this an indication of root rot and if so, what do I need to do to fix it? Please advise. Thank you. M

Aloe advice

QuestionGreg, Thanks for the answer(s) below. I have so many questions on the use and growth of aloe. Since, I dont want to overwhelm you on the subject, is there any good web/book resources on Aloes use

My cactus

QuestionHi Greg!!! I bought a cactus when my husbund and I got married to symbolize our love for each other. Now all of the suddon it is dying??? The stem is rotting and there is dark spots on the top of the cactus?

grey patches

QuestionHi..I have recently purchased a Pachycereus Margintus. At the time of purchase it seemed to be very healthy but within days of brining it home large grey areas have developed along the edges. The

Small cactus and succulent assortment SOS!

QuestionHello Greg, Last fall I decided to buy some succulents -- a deep green, almost cylindrical cactus with white wooly bits around the spines, a tall succulent with pendulous, jade-like leaves and a white dusty

Replanted Saguaro Arm

QuestionAbout a year ago an arm broke off a large saguaro about 2-3 weeks after we had just purchased the property. The arm was large an itself broke in two pieces. We notice it when we went out the property about

Frozen golden barrel cactus

QuestionMy Golden Barrel cactus froze on one side and is rotting. Should I cut back the dead part now? AnswerLorraine, Yes you can (as it seems any chance of frost is over), but be very careful. Try to get a

damaged cactus

QuestionI have a three foot tall, thin cactus that fell off a table. It broke in two places. One was a branch that broke in the middle and the second was the center trunk which broke about a foot from the top of the

Re-potting broken cactus

QuestionThe piece which broke off is close to 10 inches long (only 1-12 inch diameter). How deep should I put it in the pot? AnswerRobin, After letting it heal for at least a couple of weeks, you can plant it abou