San Pedro having strange discoloration + Pics

[Schilderij]

Hi,
I am very worried about my cactus. It has been in the pot for a month and a half now. It started sprouting about 3 weeks ago, that's when I started watering it. It's buds are now very nicely growing, and quickly, I must say. But I have a weird discoloration on the bottom side of it. Pictures are attached.
I will be very grateful if you could explain this to me.






Thanks,
Schilderij

 

[alphasnail]

It because your government has committing genocide on an innocent group of people just for being who they are. Thats why your plant is dying, theres so much bad energy in your region. Maybe if you petition your government, and ask them to stop raping people of their land, and to stop breaking laws that are clearly stated in the geneva convention, then your cacti will get better.

=]

 

[Mr.Smith]

*sharp intake of breath*

 

[GOD]

I laughed out loud and rolled on the floor at that . But look at it , the worlds wakeing up , even Obama , and now sees whos not alowing there to be peace in the region . If he sticks to what hes said and is consequent the problem will be solved .

Sorry Schilderij , no offence ment . The truth hurts sometimes .

I dont know what the brown bits on the cacti are but i`d like to know for sure as my mate AJ has a lot more than that on his cacti and is worryed

 

[Guest]

Doesn't look like the discoloration is much of a problem, they do get that. Just keep an eye on it to make sure the discoloration doesnt become black in coloration, or bruise-like. As of right now your cactus looks fine. (to me)

Although, I'm not really sure thats a San Pedro at all. Did you buy this from a reputable vendor?

 

[Meduzz]

I've had those spots too on my san pedro. But I ate it before it died.

 

[Schilderij]

Although, I'm not really sure thats a San Pedro at all. Did you buy this from a reputable vendor?

I did not buy them from a reputable vendor. We don't have those here.
Here are some more pictures of my two cacti:

George:




Sigmund:




What cacti do you think they are then?

 

[GOD]

Cant say but i`ve seen Pedros that looked exactly the same . The ones with no / next to no spines are acording to the people where they grow and are used women , and the ones with 4 ribs are much saught after because they are suposed to represent N.S,E and west .

 

[Mr.Smith]

looks like San Pedro's to me too.

how long have they been in those pots?

 

[Guest]

Hm, well, I searched around the web and it does resemble the San Pedro more than the Peruvian Torch, I guess I got them mixed up. Although your specimens don't have much of a blue tint like the ones I've seen in person. (But I guess that varies plant to plant) I guess I just got the two confused.
I thought there were more ribs with the San Pedros though. :?

They could be San Pedro. You never know when your buying from a source that doesnt specialize in San Pedro cultivation. Home Depot is not the place to be buying entheogenic cacti.

 

[Schilderij]

looks like San Pedro's to me too.

how long have they been in those pots?

They have been in the pots for a month and a half now. Started watering around 3 weeks ago.

I have a few questions:

1) I know that they should be re-watered only when soil becomes bone-dry after last watering. Isn't the total drying causing damage to the "good bacteria" I was trying to get into the soil when I added organic compost (humus) to the mix?

2) More regarding watering. On one note I read that they should be watered around 1/3 to 1/2 of the pot's volume. On another I read that the pot should be soaked with water, and then let drain for a couple hours, and spill the excess water. How much water should I give them every time then?

3) I also read that as soon as they start to grow I should cover the soil with a layer of compost (humus) on top. Is this true? How much should I put?

4) Big pots = larger place for roots to grow in => bigger roots => faster growth. Is this correct? If so, when should I move them to bigger pots? Should I wait for next summer? Or even more?

5) I live in Israel. Sun is scorching over here nowadays. I'm afraid that it will burn them. I heard that they can easily be sunburned and was advised to put them behind a window, in a place where they only receive 4-6 hours of sun a day. Days over here are about 14 hours long now, and will extend slightly through the summer. Right now it's 33 degrees Celsius = 91.4 degrees Fahrenheit outside. But then again, someone commented that my pups look like they lack light and that I should put the cactus outside in direct sunlight. I know that natural outdoor cactus in mexico probably gets even more sun than in here. So I'm a bit confused here. What should I do?

6) I read different accounts regarding fertilizing. Some say San Pedros don't like much nitrogen, some say they do. What are good for my cactus:
- Miracle Grow (non-organic. does cactus really mind?)
- Fish emulsion or Fish meal (different stuff, but I can't really tell the chemical difference between them and how they effect the cactus)?
- Liquid Kelp?
- Rock phosphate (for potassium? are there different kinds?)
- Green sand? (what is that?)
- Rock powders? (is the slow release better or worse than alternative for my cactus?)


Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and helping out. This is great!

 

[GOD]

As-Salamu Alaykum Schilderij ,

First , the bigest problem that cacti have is humans = playing with them , giveing them to much water , to much or the wrong fertiliser , squeezing them and not giveing them enough water .

"Started watering around 3 weeks ago"

How often have you watered them ? When repoted one should wait a bit before one starts watering .

Letting them dry out to bone dry is not optimal as the roots dry out and have to grow again . Thats why in spring , after you havent been watering in winter in their dormant period exept a little if they start to shrink or get wrinkles , it takes a bit before they start growing . = They have to grow fresh rootlets .

Compost is crap in my opinion .

When you give them water water till it starts to come out of the bottom of the pot then stop . If its hot one can water them every day and i`ve had them standing in water and it didnt harm them . But be very carefull , start slowly and learn from experience .

The pots youve got them in are OK but bigger pots wont hurt them . They like being repoted but need a restwhen you do = get them out of the sun and dont water them so much untill you see that they have started growing again . The best time to repot is at the end of winter / their dormant periode but you can also do it any time in their growing periode .


Do not put them behind a window in direct sun as its like putting them in front of a magnifying glass . You will have to experiment with places to put them and see what your cacti like . Strangely enough they can get sun burned but others not . Try it and see . They like it warm and light and can grow 30 cms a year . If in full sun the side to the sun can go yellowish . If in a light place with not to much sun they are very green and grow faster .....but i think that that kills the content . Wich might mean ..... more sun , less growth, more content .

Cacti need cacti fertiliser . That shouldnt be hard to get where you live . They dont like to much nitrogen . It might make them grow faster....at first . But they will be softer and more prone to disease / rotting . The one i used to use when i grew cacti was NPK 5-4-6 , but i have also seen 6-5-11 but with that one had to use less . Follow the instructions on the bottle . Personaly i used to give them half doses twice as often .

If you get problems stop watering , look at them to see if they have rot or parasites . If they have rot wait and see what hapens , at least to see if it stops because you have stoped watering . If it doesnt and its on a baby shoot or the top of the cacti cut it off and seal the wound with a bit of charcoal powder . If you can get to a specialist cacti shop they have / can get charcoal powder mixed with either / and quinine / sulphur......but dont try mixing such a mixture yourself . Either buy it or forget it . If the shit is in the roots And / or above them cut the cacti off above the shit , wrap it in news paper , put it somewhere cooler and not in the sun . When the wound has healed repot it and water once . When it starts growing water it more regularly .

The best thing you can do is get yourself a good cacti growing book . The library is your friend to .


ila Al Leka

Allah Ma'ak

 

[Schilderij]

As-Salamu Alaykum Schilderij ,

First , the bigest problem that cacti have is humans = playing with them , giveing them to much water , to much or the wrong fertiliser , squeezing them and not giveing them enough water .

"Started watering around 3 weeks ago"

How often have you watered them ? When repoted one should wait a bit before one starts watering .

Letting them dry out to bone dry is not optimal as the roots dry out and have to grow again . Thats why in spring , after you havent been watering in winter in their dormant period exept a little if they start to shrink or get wrinkles , it takes a bit before they start growing . = They have to grow fresh rootlets .

Compost is crap in my opinion .

When you give them water water till it starts to come out of the bottom of the pot then stop . If its hot one can water them every day and i`ve had them standing in water and it didnt harm them . But be very carefull , start slowly and learn from experience .

The pots youve got them in are OK but bigger pots wont hurt them . They like being repoted but need a restwhen you do = get them out of the sun and dont water them so much untill you see that they have started growing again . The best time to repot is at the end of winter / their dormant periode but you can also do it any time in their growing periode .


Do not put them behind a window in direct sun as its like putting them in front of a magnifying glass . You will have to experiment with places to put them and see what your cacti like . Strangely enough they can get sun burned but others not . Try it and see . They like it warm and light and can grow 30 cms a year . If in full sun the side to the sun can go yellowish . If in a light place with not to much sun they are very green and grow faster .....but i think that that kills the content . Wich might mean ..... more sun , less growth, more content .

Cacti need cacti fertiliser . That shouldnt be hard to get where you live . They dont like to much nitrogen . It might make them grow faster....at first . But they will be softer and more prone to disease / rotting . The one i used to use when i grew cacti was NPK 5-4-6 , but i have also seen 6-5-11 but with that one had to use less . Follow the instructions on the bottle . Personaly i used to give them half doses twice as often .

If you get problems stop watering , look at them to see if they have rot or parasites . If they have rot wait and see what hapens , at least to see if it stops because you have stoped watering . If it doesnt and its on a baby shoot or the top of the cacti cut it off and seal the wound with a bit of charcoal powder . If you can get to a specialist cacti shop they have / can get charcoal powder mixed with either / and quinine / sulphur......but dont try mixing such a mixture yourself . Either buy it or forget it . If the shit is in the roots And / or above them cut the cacti off above the shit , wrap it in news paper , put it somewhere cooler and not in the sun . When the wound has healed repot it and water once . When it starts growing water it more regularly .

The best thing you can do is get yourself a good cacti growing book . The library is your friend to .


ila Al Leka

Allah Ma'ak

Wa aleykum as-salaam, ya sachbi.

Thank you very much for your informative and quick reply.

I waited a month before I watered, and only watered first time when I could pull gently on the cactus and feel the roots are down there. Since then I only watered once more and that was when the soil was bone dry again.

How can I tell when soil is dry enough to re-water? I am afraid that sticking my finger to check compacts the soil under where I push, so this is not optimal.

Do cactus recover from sunburning? Can I really experiment with relocationing that much?

I have a friend coming over from the states. She will get me the fertilizer I need. Which is the best brand to your experience?

Last thing, about putting it out in the sun for the whole day, my plastic pots will overheat them, won't it?


shukran jazeelan!

 

[GOD]

I dont want to moan or complain .....BUT....please , please , please dont quote whole posts as it gets realy up my nose . I know what i wrote , so do you and so does everyone else . So please just either adress the person your talking to or just quote the bits you want to comment on . Maybe its the wrong time of month for me but i find it a pain in the arse .

And you dont need to apologise so please dont .

Dont pull on the cactus , just think about if someone came and pulled on your ears ocasionaly , and dont poke the soil . You will learn by experience. Generaly your doing the cacti good by leaveing them alone and letting them get on with their life . They developed and survived for ? million years without people "helping" them . When you give them water the pot looks like the soil fits in it , when it starts to need water the soil shrinks a bit and starts to have spaces between it and the pot . The cacti wont die if you dont water it much . If it starts to shrink , get wrinkles or grows less / smaller it needs water or water and heat . Heat shouldnt be a problem where you are .

The sun burning thing is a thing people who grow cacti often argue about .

If it gets to much it will go yellow and then soft and then die , but it only , sometimes , gets that far if the cacti is standing behind glass = a lense .

Remember cacti arent race horses . They grow slower and dont need exercise = move them if you think you have a problem but then give them a few months to see if / what happens . There is also big debates about cacti growing fast and sacrament content . Some people say that growing them fast or not in full sunlight fucks the content . Other say it doesnt .

There is no best cacti fertiliser . If its cacti fertiliser its cacti fertiliser . If you live near Jewrusalem or Tel Avive you shouldnt have any problems with getting good fertiliser . Garden centers are good , and maybe try looking for firms wich grow cacti . You shouldnt have much problem with that as as far as i know there are lots of firms growing cacti in the area .

If you either put the pots in a hole in the ground or cover them with something white they shouldnt have problems . By that i`m not saying that they could have problems if you dont . I dont know because i dont live where its a s hot as you ............

 

[Schilderij]

Thank you god.

You have helped a lot.

 

[tryptonaut]

1) I know that they should be re-watered only when soil becomes bone-dry after last watering. Isn't the total drying causing damage to the "good bacteria" I was trying to get into the soil when I added organic compost (humus) to the mix?

When there's enough sun (and I guess in Israel that is a definite "yes") the soil doesn't have to be bone dry before you water them again. Just somewhat dry is enough.

2) More regarding watering. On one note I read that they should be watered around 1/3 to 1/2 of the pot's volume. On another I read that the pot should be soaked with water, and then let drain for a couple hours, and spill the excess water. How much water should I give them every time then?

I wouldn't soak them all the time. This is more of a method for flushing out excess salts from the soil: pouring in a lot of water that drains through the soil and takes everything with it. This way you can rinse the soil and get rid of everything, especially if you use distilled or rain water. You just don't want to do that very often.

3) I also read that as soon as they start to grow I should cover the soil with a layer of compost (humus) on top. Is this true? How much should I put?

I also read that, I think it was on some grower's site from New Mexico. He said he always puts worm-compost on top for a good soil climate. I couldn't find worm-compost or I would have tried it as well.
I think if it isn't for the worms, you can just as well fertilize them when they start to grow.

4) Big pots = larger place for roots to grow in => bigger roots => faster growth. Is this correct? If so, when should I move them to bigger pots? Should I wait for next summer? Or even more?

If the roots already cover all of the pot, then re-pot them. If not, you can wait till next year.

5) I live in Israel. Sun is scorching over here nowadays. I'm afraid that it will burn them. I heard that they can easily be sunburned and was advised to put them behind a window, in a place where they only receive 4-6 hours of sun a day. Days over here are about 14 hours long now, and will extend slightly through the summer. Right now it's 33 degrees Celsius = 91.4 degrees Fahrenheit outside. But then again, someone commented that my pups look like they lack light and that I should put the cactus outside in direct sunlight. I know that natural outdoor cactus in mexico probably gets even more sun than in here. So I'm a bit confused here. What should I do?

I'm in Germany, and I can say as much as the sun ever burnt in summer, it wasn't enough to sunburn the cacti. In Israel I guess it would be more like in Mexico/New Mexico, and I read that people there actually cover their plants with white cloth from the direct sunlight in mid-summer.
These cacti aren't desert-cacti. They're from Peru somewhere, that's why they also like richer soil and more water than other (desert) cacti.
I think the brown area on your cactus (not the light brown bruises, but the brownish area on the skin) might actually be a sunburn.

6) I read different accounts regarding fertilizing. Some say San Pedros don't like much nitrogen, some say they do. What are good for my cactus:
- Miracle Grow (non-organic. does cactus really mind?)
- Fish emulsion or Fish meal (different stuff, but I can't really tell the chemical difference between them and how they effect the cactus)?
- Liquid Kelp?
- Rock phosphate (for potassium? are there different kinds?)
- Green sand? (what is that?)
- Rock powders? (is the slow release better or worse than alternative for my cactus?)

Everybody will tell you something different on their mixtures I guess.
I know that San Pedro do like more nitrogen than other cacti, but not as much as other plants either. So you shouldn't use normal fertilizer all the time, only sometimes if at all. I was having good results with a cactus fertilizer from the supermarket with 3-5-7 NPK, now I bought a new one from a cactus grower who says they are using it on all their cacti as a standard and it's 6-12-6 NPK. I'll see what I get with that one this summer

I don't know all the other stuff you listed (heard of them yes) but I guess it's like with soil - an endless variety of possible ingredients and everybody says you totally need A or B.
I just bought some special soil that contains everything from lava to special clay and is supposed to be perfect for cacti. I can say I also had good results with cactus soil from the supermarket, which is according to the pros not worthy of the name cactus soil...
I mean, San Pedros are considered beginners-cacti, they are really easy to grow and even if you do make mistakes they won't instantly die or something.

But I'm thinking about the same stuff constantly - is there a way to make them grow better? What can I improve for my little (or sometimes not so little) friends?

By the way is one of your cacti named Sigmund? That's pretty funny because it's such a gothic German name. I mean for a psychedelic cactus that grows in Israel.

And by the way I'm sorry that some people here don't seem to be able to make a distinction between the politics of a state, and an individual who likes to grow cacti... if we let ourselves down to a level where we hate each other for being from country A or B, then you can call me a nazi, and I can say Americans slaughtered Indians, the Spanish slaughtered the Mayans. None of us individuals on this forum have actually done these things, and we are all psychonauts, the people who oppose all that war and murder.

Everybody is welcome here no matter where they come from, and I hope we can keep it that way! Psychonauts unite! 8)

 

[GOD]

If you made that distinction you wouldnt have mentioned anything about it . Its a forum and anyone can say what they want so long as its not badly against the rules or against Dutch law . Its natural for people to make asociations between places and politics especialy in this case as we get it shoved down our throats every day . No one said anything about hate or was hatefull . Also no one critzisised Schilderij . In fact everyone tried to help him . He didnt complain either so why are you ? And if theres one place on this planet where no one would doubt that theres extremely bad vibes its where he lives . I had to spend more time editing political coments out of my posts than writeing the rest . I did it out of respect for him . Try showing the same respect for others and dont talk crap...... please .

 

[Schilderij]

I think that since this is a cacti forum, there's no place for political / football / sex or any other off-topic talks here. If I wanted to talk about the situation in here (and I agree that it's fucked) I would go somewhere else.

 

[GOD]

Feel welcome , feel at home and please stay with us .

 

[tryptonaut]

I thought alphasnails comment was only provocative and had nothing to do with cacti at all, it was just political. Or maybe also religious? I don't know. It wasn't on-topic though - which is usually not a problem on this forum, just being off-topic and trying to start a political argument at the same time is not okay in my opinion.
Schilderij did a pretty good job at ignoring it, maybe I should have ignored it, too.