Why my cactus turns brown

cactus turns brown

With its bold shapes and cheerful green variations, the cactus is one of the most sophisticated plants you can find and is suitable for different home decoration styles. Not only that, they are not difficult to maintain and it is very worrying to see parts of your beloved cactus start to turn brown.

Fortunately, there are some tricks to find out what causes cactus to turn brown, while at the same time how to store them.

Cactus root rot

If the base of the cactus turns brown and at the same time the stems appear soft, smooth, and yellow, you know it is root rot.

Now, storing root rot cactus may be a bit difficult but not impossible. As soon as you notice the first signs of rot, stop watering and transplant into a fine and well-drained soil. But if the rot is already advanced, you can try to cut some healthy tissue with all the signs of rot and save it to make sure it does not spread.

Corking signs of age

Corking is a natural part of the aging cactus. This involves a change in the color and texture of the cactus, usually starting from the base of the cactus and moving upwards. So if the brown color of your cactus starts from the top to bottom, it will not become corking. This is often a sign of sunburn or other problems.

And unfortunately, as with our own aging, there is no way to prevent corking or any way to slow down its process.

Sunburn Damage

Although cactus are very hardy, they are still exposed to sunlight, especially when exposed to high-intensity sunlight.

Depending on the gravitational pull of the burn, the damage may appear in brown, black, or brown patches. But in general, if the effect of the sun is high, the discoloration will be darker.

Sun damage can be easily prevented by replacing the cactus or covering it with a shade cloth once it has received the amount of sunlight it needs for a day (5-6 hours of sunlight a day is sufficient).

If your cactus shows some early signs of damage from sunlight (such as yellowing on the surface of the plant), it is best to move it to a different place where there will be less sunlight to save it.

Scale insect infection

The scales are small insects that are mistaken for the brown spots that appear on cactus due to the hard brown shell sheaths. They turn yellow as they weaken the cactus and absorb its sap through its leaves.

To remove the scales, all you have to do is spray your cactus in a stream or wash it with a weak solution of soap and then kill it using a cotton cloth to apply gardening oil.

Spider Mite Damage

Red spiders are small reddish-brown insects that look like dust when viewed with the naked eye. The first sign of red spider mites on the cactus is the web and small brown spots on young growth.

These pests prefer hot, dry conditions and do not like high humidity, so fog and overhead watering can promote and reduce their impact. But to get rid of these pests completely, you can use antibiotics as per the manufacturer's instructions.

Finally

Yes, cactus can be hard at times. But telling the difference between the problems will definitely help you to take better care of them. In addition, you can easily use the right trick to save it and grow happy cactus throughout the year.