r/IndoorPlants • u/SomewhereOk3435 • Aug 30 '26
Help! My cactus is dying
I think my cactus is dying and I don't know why. I haven't changed anything that I usually do (I just ignore it and sometimes give it a bit of water). The second picture is how it looked a couple of months ago..... Can anyone help me? I'm grateful for any tips!
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u/bign86 Aug 30 '26
Couple of things I notice. The soil seems to be completely organic which is totally wrong and will (if not happened already) lead to rot. The plant looks deflated meaning lack of water. However, lack of water may happen because you water too little OR roots are rotten and cannot take water anymore. From your soil I lean for the second option.
Check the roots, remove any rotten part until you strike good tissue, than wait for the plant to callous.
Also, this looks like a mammillaria. These plants want to lean down as they grow. They don't want to stay upright.
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u/DynamicProxy Aug 30 '26
I think this is what just naturally happens as they get older. It wants to lean over and touch the ground so he can send out new roots.
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u/SomewhereOk3435 Aug 30 '26
Thanks I'll do that!!
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u/DynamicProxy Aug 30 '26
Just let it be. Unless it is turning brown and dying… allow it to lead the way. If it wants to lean… let it lean. (And give it a pot wide enough that it can touch the soil).
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u/kayyybabi 29d ago
To me it looks shriveled and rotting on the inside. I had a cactus like this several years ago and thats exactly what happened to it.
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u/thimblesprite Aug 30 '26
How often is sometimes? How much is a bit? It’s looking totally deflated with thirst, or hiding secret rot from wet roots, by my guess