Question
the plant is about one foot high with a flat main stem and several medium sized flat sections and each of these sections has several smaller sections.  The main stem is like stone, no longer green and seems to be dead.  But the smaller sections at the top are still green.  We were told not to over water it but maybe it was too dry.  Now one of the medium stems has fallen off and more of the plant is drying out.  Can I root a plant from some part of this plant before it entirely dies?

Answer
Doris,

You can try rooting a still green section of this plant. Cut or break it off of the main plant and leave it lay and air dry for 3-5 days until the cut appears totally dry. Pick up a bag of builders sand at Lowe's or Home Depot and a bag of cheap potting soil. Mix 2 parts of sand with 1 part of potting soil and put it in a 6 inch clay pot. Dip the lower dried end of your cactus cutting in rooting hormone that you can also pick up in the gardening area at Loews or Home Depot then insert the cutting in the soil. Then set the pot in a sunny south facing window with the drapes or blinds open all day. A cactus needs as much sun as possible. If your plant has not been getting full sun that may be why it is dying. It should not be watered more often than every 10 days during the summer and every 20 days during the winter. This is not the best time of year to take cuttings so you should take as many as possible so that some may live. The more sun it gets the better chance you will have that they will survive. Good luck.

Darlene