Welcome to the post that will be talking about some of the reasons why a cactus plant might start to shrink. There are a variety of factors that will impact the cactus and cause it to react like this.
Some of the reasons include, underwatering, root rot, age, too much light, or overwatering during the winter. But thankfully pretty much all these things can be fixed with a few different steps.
Follow along and we will together learn about the fantastic houseplant that is the cactus. Not only about decoration but also about the fascinating way it grows and works.
Why Is My Cactus Shrinking
Just like we said at the beginning of the article there are a few different reasons why a cactus might start shrinking. We laid out a lot of different reasons and we mentioned they are usually pretty easy to fix as well.
The first is about watering. Here there is definitely a balance we are trying to reach. The plant will be very harmed if there is too much water in the soil. It can cause irreversible damage to the root system.
But watering too little for too long will have a toll on the cactus plant. It makes it harder for the cactus to continue to grow and thrive. But since it’s pretty known that the plant can manage for a long time without any water, a lot of people just don’t water it. But we recommend providing it with some at least every other week.
Next on the list of reasons a cactus will shrink is that the root system is starting to rot. This is often caused by the soil being too watered. This creates a very bad environment for the roots to be growing in.
It will quickly show up above the surface as the plant both starts shrinking and starts to rot and turn to different colors.
Too much light is actually an issue sometimes with cactus plants. Although it’s often very variety specific, if they get too much they can’t keep up and will get sunburnt.
Since most people will be growing a cactus plant in a pot then we have the ability to move it around and make the most of the light we have during the day. We strive to get around 6 – 8 hours at least per day.
Are you growing a saguaro cactus plant and want to determine the age of the plant? In this article we discuss it more in-depth, Determining Age Of Saguaro Cactus.
Why Is My Cactus Starting Shriveling
The reason the cactus plant might start shriveling is caused by many things. Some of these will include watering and the amount of light that the plant is getting.
We have already talked about the plant shrinking, but the fact of the matter is that the same reasons are causing cactus plants to shrivel as well.
Watering the plant properly is very important as this can make or break the success you will have in propagating cactus plants at home. We always aim for soil that will be kept slightly damp. Any more will have a bad effect on the root system of the plant. it causes it to start to rot.
The roots rotting will show up above the ground in the way of the plant turning black but of course, also starting to shrivel up.
Are you thinking about trimming your cactus plant? Here we share some of the pros and cons of doing so, Can You Trim Cactus Spines.
Why Did My Cactus Deflate
A cactus plant can start to deflate when the environment no longer is very hospitable to the cactus plant. This usually means that the plant is getting too much water and too much light during the day.
We have covered some goals about watering a cactus plant. The soil should be kept damp and nothing more. This will keep the cactus plant in check and hopefully, you will have a very happy and thriving cactus plant this way.
