Welcome to this article that will be talking about if a cactus plant can actually die from being watered too much. The answer to this question is that it certainly can. Just like basically all plants that are out there.
If there is too much water in the soil then the roots will start to rot. This will have a severe effect on the plant in the shape turning black and eventually going into the soil.
So keeping the water content in the soil under control is very important. It’s one of the things that we really stress when caring for and growing a cactus plant. Follow along and we will be talking more in-depth about this.
Can A Cactus Die From Too Much Water
Just like we said at the beginning of this article here, the cactus plant can definitely die if there is too much water in the soil. We, therefore, want to or even need to be careful about not overwatering.
We always recommend that you feel and look at the soil before watering anymore. This way we can better determine whether it’s needed or not. We strive for the soil to be semi-dry. We have found this to be the sweet spot for when the plant will grow the absolute best.
If you are wondering how often you will need to water the soil then there really is no straight answer to that. But every week it should probably be necessary. But just like we said in the paragraph above here, we need to check the soil before watering.
If you want some signs to look for it the plant has gotten too much water. Then we want to see whether there are any wired colored spots starting to develop on the cactus.
This will indicate that there is definitely something wrong. It will always start affecting the root system. And especially the long main stem that goes the deepest in the soil. Since it’s at the lowest point where the water will start to stack up.
But this can be avoided by having a pot that has a hole in the bottom. This will make it easier for the excess water to drain away. This a great tip if you are a beginner at growing cacti.
Are you considering cutting the cactus plant in half? In this article we are talking more in-depth on this topic, If I Cut A Cactus In Half Will it Die.
How do You Save An Overwatered Cactus
Saving an overwatered cactus plant is not the easiest task you can take on. It will include some hard work since this act of overwatering is attacking the roots which are some of the most susceptible parts of the entire plant.
But there are a few methods that you could apply and hopefully will help steer you back on the right track. This would include placing the plant in the sunniest spot in your garden.
This way we can hopefully have the soil dry out quicker and more efficiently. If this process goes fast enough then it can definitely help the plant survive and perhaps even start to thrive again.
But another method you could try is transplanting the cactus plant. This will of course depend on how much overwater it has gotten. If you catch it quickly, the soil is basically a soup. Then this is the best way since the roots haven’t gotten affected yet if you are quick.
Is your cactus plant starting to develop some curly spines? In this article, we are diving deeper into just that topic, Cactus With Curly Spines.
Can A Cactus Recover From Overwatering
We have already laid out a few methods of saving an overwatered cactus plant. Some of these were transplanting it or placing it in a very sunny spot to have the soil dry up.
But will these save the plant? Well, that will always depend on the health of the plant beforehand and how far the damage has come. If there are clear signs above the soil, like the plant turning black then we are afraid to say that it might not be recoverable.
