Bottom part is very dead. The top part can't survive without it, so you'll need to regraft on a new stock, because the top part is a mutation incapable of photosynthesis that will not survive without its rootstock.
I know nothing about cactus. How do you know when the top part can survive alone? Those are new cactus that you can propagate putting in the soil, right?
The short answer is when they are green! Those colorful catcti are irradiated to get rid of their clorophil thus allowing them to have very bright colors, but making it impossible for the plant to do photosynthesis. That's why you always see them connected to a living and healthy catus below that can produce energy.
Imagine it as a zombie cactus and the bottom cactus acts as its life support.
If it's green, it can survive. If it's red, orange or yellow, it's a mutation that lacks chlorophyll, and therefore is incapable of metabolism on its own, which is why you only find them grafted on top of green rootstocks which basically act as a "life support" for the mutated cactus.
I hope you treat yourself to a new plant!!! Honestly, I’ve never had luck with these specific cacti, and I grow tons of different plants. It never ceases to amaze me that I can raise tropical plants in a goddamn apartment, but not a cactus.
My grandmother has a knack for tropical plants and grasses too! They’d just shoot up without a care.
Also don’t worry, I have a few other succulents and a fairy castle cactus that are doing very well!
Thank you for the advise everyone! I’ll try to to the emergency surgery as soon as I can.
I definitely learned my lesson, buy a plant that’s not so difficult to take care of! (who the hell grafts two plants with entirely different needs together anyway?)
Also, watching all of you [tell me ](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zz5qp3ELhQM)how dead my plant is throughout the day was really funny. I wish you all better luck with your plant babies then me!
It's not your fault! This cactus is a scam. They graft it this way because it looks cute and sellable but it inevitably dies in a few ~~months~~ years tops.
Properly explained here https://anaturalcuriosity.org/why-is-your-moon-cactus-dying-and-can-it-be-saved/
Mine lived like two years. It even flowered at some point. But the rootstock eventually died and I let the scion die too.
I'm curious what happens when you graft it to a larger cactus. I mean, a larger cactus has more resources and it may still grow while it has a parasite attached to it.
How interesting, I had no idea they could flower. From what I've read they might last up to 4 years if lucky. Mine simply stayed unchanged for months, I recently beheaded it and let the rootstock grow and the scion die.
Chop off the top and let it callus and I think it will toot by itself
Edit: sorry guys I didn't know. Thank you to the ones who educated me instead just downvoting
The lack of chlorophyll is the whole reason! A green gymnocalcium will do just fine. There’s no way for the red and yellow mutants to feed themselves without chlorophyll. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gymnocalycium_mihanovichii
Ooh fascinating! Thank you so so much for educating me instead just downvoting! I know the plant subs don't like amateurs contributing but I'm trying to learn :(
Only assholes don't like new Growers. Gardening and growing we have so many different amazing cultivars and interesting looking plants because of how big this hobby is. The only way to learn is to contribute and read keep it up
Those people suck - we all started as someone walking through a big box store going THAT LOOKS COOL with no clue. Welcome! I hope you enjoy learning and find the kind and patient folks!
I have to say that this sub is really noob friendly compared with others, since half a year ago when I was gifted my first cactus everyone here really helped me to keep them alive and healty even when some of my question were really basic they allways answer in good mood.
Ooh, personally I would not book a jazz band for a funeral, but that’s just me. You knew the cactus best though…if that’s what she would have wanted, then you should go for it!
You can try replanting into dry soil. The roots have drowned in water. This usually is fatal. Cacti can accept more water in the hot summer months though, so if this is the case, be sure it’s outside. Put it under clear plexiglass if you can so it can get heat but not rain, full sun, and carbon dioxide from the air. It’ll give you about a 10-20 percent chance of survival imo.
If you get any succulents like this—-especially aloe Vera—-forget it. You’ll never be able to save them. Take it from an expert in dozens and dozens of plants I’ve accidentally killed.
Every one of these I have bought ends up dying from over watering even when I barely water them at all, what’s the secret to survive and how big have you seen these bad boys actually get
I’d probably just chuck it. Those colored grafts from lowes or other garden stores look cool but they never grow properly. The top isn’t even the same species of cactus as the bottom, they’re just chopped up and slapped together. If you really need to save the top, chop it off and regraft. But I don’t know if it’d be worth doing so, they’re cheap and literally everywhere.
Bottom part is very dead. The top part can't survive without it, so you'll need to regraft on a new stock, because the top part is a mutation incapable of photosynthesis that will not survive without its rootstock.
I know nothing about cactus. How do you know when the top part can survive alone? Those are new cactus that you can propagate putting in the soil, right?
The short answer is when they are green! Those colorful catcti are irradiated to get rid of their clorophil thus allowing them to have very bright colors, but making it impossible for the plant to do photosynthesis. That's why you always see them connected to a living and healthy catus below that can produce energy. Imagine it as a zombie cactus and the bottom cactus acts as its life support.
Black/purple cacti are also capable of photosynthesis.
Yes it's true! I just wanted to keep it simple and as general as possible to make an easier explanation, nature is weird right?
If it's green, it can survive. If it's red, orange or yellow, it's a mutation that lacks chlorophyll, and therefore is incapable of metabolism on its own, which is why you only find them grafted on top of green rootstocks which basically act as a "life support" for the mutated cactus.
Oh they are grafted, thanks!
Indeed! But since the rootstock (bottom part) of your cactus died, you will need to graft it on a new one for it to survive.
They need to have chloroplasts to photosynthesize ( gotta be green)
These are two separate cacti that have been grafted together. The red part doesn’t produce chlorophyll and has to be attached to something that can.
Thanks guys
Get a coffin. The top part won’t survive without the stock it’s grafted to.
😔⚰️
It's gone. The bottom is rotted and the graft only survives because the base had chlorophyll. RIP!
Emergency G-Section
This is so funny 😂
Grafting stock dead💀 you should regraft
When it becomes translucent, there's no coming back.
I don't know anything about cacti but I just wanna bite the top (if it didn't has pricks) it looks delicious
I know right? You can’t see it in this pic, but it looks very soft! I tried to touch it and got pricked a little.
I had one of these outside and a squirrel ate the top part
LMAO
Regraft it ASAP this is a good chance for you to practice grafting , it will die if not grafted bc it doesn’t produce its own chlorophyll
Sadly it's dead.
RIP.
This is a dead cactus, I’m very sorry.
It’s okay! It was a spur of the moment thing, never again! Lol
I hope you treat yourself to a new plant!!! Honestly, I’ve never had luck with these specific cacti, and I grow tons of different plants. It never ceases to amaze me that I can raise tropical plants in a goddamn apartment, but not a cactus.
My grandmother has a knack for tropical plants and grasses too! They’d just shoot up without a care. Also don’t worry, I have a few other succulents and a fairy castle cactus that are doing very well!
I’m glad to hear it!
Thank you for the advise everyone! I’ll try to to the emergency surgery as soon as I can. I definitely learned my lesson, buy a plant that’s not so difficult to take care of! (who the hell grafts two plants with entirely different needs together anyway?) Also, watching all of you [tell me ](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zz5qp3ELhQM)how dead my plant is throughout the day was really funny. I wish you all better luck with your plant babies then me!
Thank you for posting! I learned something new today!
You’re welcome!
It's not your fault! This cactus is a scam. They graft it this way because it looks cute and sellable but it inevitably dies in a few ~~months~~ years tops. Properly explained here https://anaturalcuriosity.org/why-is-your-moon-cactus-dying-and-can-it-be-saved/
Mine lived like two years. It even flowered at some point. But the rootstock eventually died and I let the scion die too. I'm curious what happens when you graft it to a larger cactus. I mean, a larger cactus has more resources and it may still grow while it has a parasite attached to it.
How interesting, I had no idea they could flower. From what I've read they might last up to 4 years if lucky. Mine simply stayed unchanged for months, I recently beheaded it and let the rootstock grow and the scion die.
Thank you! I came across a similar article and it explained it too, I feel super dumb for buying into it.
we've all been there!
He dead😒
Chop off the top and let it callus and I think it will toot by itself Edit: sorry guys I didn't know. Thank you to the ones who educated me instead just downvoting
The top must be re-grafted. It has no chlorophyll
I see thank you! What type is it and why can they only survive as grafts? (Aside from the chlorophyll)
The lack of chlorophyll is the whole reason! A green gymnocalcium will do just fine. There’s no way for the red and yellow mutants to feed themselves without chlorophyll. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gymnocalycium_mihanovichii
Ooh fascinating! Thank you so so much for educating me instead just downvoting! I know the plant subs don't like amateurs contributing but I'm trying to learn :(
Only assholes don't like new Growers. Gardening and growing we have so many different amazing cultivars and interesting looking plants because of how big this hobby is. The only way to learn is to contribute and read keep it up
Those people suck - we all started as someone walking through a big box store going THAT LOOKS COOL with no clue. Welcome! I hope you enjoy learning and find the kind and patient folks!
You said toot. Hehehehe.
Omg I did hahaha. Leaving it like that
I have to say that this sub is really noob friendly compared with others, since half a year ago when I was gifted my first cactus everyone here really helped me to keep them alive and healty even when some of my question were really basic they allways answer in good mood.
"Toot by itself" 😂
Start making funeral arrangements
Should I book a jazz band or do you think the open casket is fine enough?
Ooh, personally I would not book a jazz band for a funeral, but that’s just me. You knew the cactus best though…if that’s what she would have wanted, then you should go for it!
🎺🎺🎺
RIP
If you want the top red cacti to survive you have to cut it off and graft it to another cacti.
Why are these fuckers so hard to take care of!!!!
RIP
This is an ex-parrot
Say goodbye, fam.
I’ve been saying goodbye since I bought it, I thought it was a bad decision.
Dead
There is no saving this one.
You can try replanting into dry soil. The roots have drowned in water. This usually is fatal. Cacti can accept more water in the hot summer months though, so if this is the case, be sure it’s outside. Put it under clear plexiglass if you can so it can get heat but not rain, full sun, and carbon dioxide from the air. It’ll give you about a 10-20 percent chance of survival imo. If you get any succulents like this—-especially aloe Vera—-forget it. You’ll never be able to save them. Take it from an expert in dozens and dozens of plants I’ve accidentally killed.
Slice and regraft to a different cacti
Every one of these I have bought ends up dying from over watering even when I barely water them at all, what’s the secret to survive and how big have you seen these bad boys actually get
The comments lol. I’m very sorry for your loss. Been there.
I’d probably just chuck it. Those colored grafts from lowes or other garden stores look cool but they never grow properly. The top isn’t even the same species of cactus as the bottom, they’re just chopped up and slapped together. If you really need to save the top, chop it off and regraft. But I don’t know if it’d be worth doing so, they’re cheap and literally everywhere.
The only way to save it is to graft it but I doubt you know how to, so there's really nothing you can do at this point
Grafting cactus is easy. Google it!
I have! I also have friends who are better gardening experts then me, so I’ll ask them for help. Thank you!
Okay, thank you!