One of the worst things that can happen to plants is root rot as this can cause all sorts of issues at the very least once it’s gotten started.
Unfortunately the Prickly Pear Cactus is also susceptible to root rot when the growing care has not been ideal.
Thankfully it’s pretty easy to narrow down the causes for root rot and what the signs are so you can quickly save your cactus from further damage and get back on the right track.
So without further ado, here is everything you need to know in order to identify root rot in a Prickly Pear Cactus and then save the cactus as well.
Causes Of Root Rot
The main causes of root rot in a prickly pear cactus are overwatering and or poor drainage from the soil.
These go hand in hand as overwatering will lead to wet feet in your cactus and even if you do water sparingly, if the soil can’t drain well then the cactus will stay too wet regardless.
So for the Prickly Pear, you should be watering on average once every few weeks, but only when the soil has completely dried up.
Watering only when the soil is dry will not only prevent overwatering and root rot, but it makes knowing when to water that much easier as you can just feel the soil and then decide if it’s time to water or not.
Also make sure you are using soil made for cacti so there is adequate drainage as well.
Signs Of Root Rot
Some of the most common signs of root rot in cacti include yellowing then turning black, stunted growth, drooping or wilting, or the cactus falling apart in general.
Usually when root rot starts to set in you will see the Prickly Pear drooping or stunted growth first.
Then you may see the plant start to turn yellow and eventually black as the process progresses.
You may even notice a foul odor coming from the bottom of your Prickly Pear which is the roots becoming rotten hence the term root rot.
Normal healthy roots of a prickly pear cactus will be firm and white and unhealthy rotting roots will be soft and black.
So if you have any of the signs listed above it will be time to check the roots and if they aren’t firm and white then you have root rot and will need to work quickly to save your cactus.
How To Save Your Prickly Pear
Keep in mind it’s not always possible to save a cactus from root rot, depending on how much damage has been done which is why you want to act as fast as possible when noticed.
With that being said, by following the steps, you will have the best possible chance at saving your Prickly Pear Cactus from root rot.
So first you want to have some sterile gardening shears at the ready so you can get to cutting away the affected parts of the cactus including not only the roots but also rotted parts of the cactus itself.
These gardening shears are super affordable and all you really need.
So for the roots you want to cut away any dark or mushy roots while keeping as much of the healthy ones as possible.
You can then apply a fungicide to the healthy roots to ensure they are fresh and clean going forward.
I recommend this fungicide by the way.
Now prune away any affected parts of the cactus body to make room for fresh growth.
Once all of this is complete, you need to get a new container to plant in with some fresh well draining soil as well.
Now repot your Prickly Pear the same as you had it before and you will be good to go.
That’s all there is to it and this will give you the best possible chance to save the cactus from rot!
Conclusion
So there you have it, all you needed to know about root rot and what to do about it.
I know it can be scary to have to deal with root rot, but hopefully after reading this you can deal with it with some confidence going forward!