Golden Barrel Cacti are well known to have a ton of spines just like most cacti in general.
So when you see a Golden Barrel Cactus losing spines it can be concerning as you would expect the entire succulent to be covered in these modified leaves.
Thankfully in a lot of cases this isn’t really all that bad and your Golden barrel isn’t at risk but there are some circumstances where it can be a problem.
So let’s take a look at the different ways your Golden Barrel cactus could be losing spines and whether or not it is a big deal in that situation.
Pets knocking the spines off
If you have any pets such as cats or other animals that run free in your house or garden then there is a high possibility that these animals can bump into your cactus.
Thus knocking the spines off of your Golden barrel cactus in patches or just one area which is more cosmetically irritating then anything else.
This isn’t a cause for concern, at least for your Golden Barrel cactus but rather you should check your pets to see if they’re alright as the spines sure are pointy.
So if you are certain you have been taking good care of your cacti then this should be the first thing to take into account if you have pets.
Lack of nutrients for Golden Barrel
If you have been growing a Golden Barrel cactus for some time, you may be at the point where you haven’t repotted your succulent or changed out the soil.
This can cause a lack of nutrients for your cactus and thus less than optimal growth and maintenance for your plant.
Even if your watering is on point, if you’re not giving your cactus some nutrients every once in a while you can see your Golden barrel start to lose spines.
If you think this is the case for you then consider repotting your Golden Barrel in a container one size larger with some fresh well draining soil.
You’re overwatering your Golden Barrel
One of the more common causes for a golden barrel cactus to lose spines can be attributed to overwatering this plant.
Naturally Cacti don’t like to have that much water since they are super drought tolerant and can withstand harsh conditions of heat and not a lot of water.
With that said you should water your Golden Barrel cactus every once in a while but only when the soil is entirely dry to prevent this succulent from staying moist and rotting.
Poor draining soil can also be an issue even though you are watering just fine.
Try using some quality soil to prevent problems.
If either of these things are out of whack then you run the risk of your cactus becoming rotted and thus the spines will start to fall off.
This is a cause for concern in this case.
Especially if your Golden Barrel’s roots have become really rotted as this will destroy your cacti over time if not treated soon enough.
So try to lean towards the side of underwatering to play it safe.
Overwatering is also a major reason for a Golden Barrel cactus turning brown as well.
Pests are dehydrating your Golden Barrel
Although overwatering can be a huge issue with Golden Barrel cacti, being dehydrated can also become a problem in certain situations.
In this case pests can be the one causing dehydration for your succulent.
More specifically, mealy bugs can and will drain fluids out of your Golden Barrel cactus, thus causing a loss of spines all over this cacti.
You may notice these mealy bugs if you notice small white hairs all over your cactus as they are super small but can do serious damage to your plants health.
They can even infest all over the roots of your golden barrel if they get out of hand and not spotted fast enough.
So follow normal pest control procedures and rid your cactus of these pests to prevent them from dehydrating your plant and causing it to lose it spines.
I recommend using this neem oil spray to get rid of these pests.
Lack of light for Golden Barrel cactus
If you know anything about Cacti then you know that these succulents require a good amount of sunlight throughout the day just like their normal habitat.
So if you’re growing a golden barrel cactus indoors, make sure it is by a very sunny window or consider using a quality grow light so it gets what it needs to grow right.
If growing outdoors then you can be sure that your cactus will be fine in very sunny conditions with a lot of light.
Although you still have to keep an eye out for the hottest days of the year where the heat index is super extreme.
Other than that make sure that your Golden Barrel cactus gets enough light daily, otherwise over time you will see the cactus start to lose spines if the lack of light becomes constant.