Plants that can survive in harsh situations and dont need maximum effort are the best choices for indoor and outdoor gardening. Cacti are the best choice for this purpose because it’s a unique species that can be grown in rocky landscapes too. Like other plants cacti plants may have to face some kind of disease. Knowing the disease reasons and how to cure them is important to save your beloved prickly plants.
Here are some guidelines that we will discuss the most common diseases that can be found in cacti plants and tips on how to fix them.
1. Drowned Root
The drowned root is the most common disease that can be found in cacti plants. This disease can occur because of giving excessive water to the plant and the roots of the plant become gross. The symptoms of this disease can be yellow plants or pulpy roots.
Cure: The best cure for this disease is to remove that rotten part from the cacti plant. Take a sensitised knife and cut off the infected part until you reach out to the healthy part of the plant. After removing that rotten part avoid watering the cacti plant for some time until it recovers.
2. Powdery Mildew
Powdery mildew is a cacti plant disease in which the plant is covered by white powder. It’s a kind of powdery fungus that occurs because of the humidity and hot temperature. The symptoms of this disease are the leaves of the cacti covered with white stuff like snow.
Cure: This disease can be cured by removing the powder stuff from the leaves of the caci with the help of a knife. Special kinds of fungus-removing spry can also be used for this purpose.
3. Bacterial Soft Rot
If a cacti plant feels soft instead of hard it may be a bacterial soft root disease. It’s the same as a rotten slice of a fruit but in cacti plant it’s very difficult to cure this disease. This is caused by the harmful bacteria entering the cacti plants through the cuts on leaves.
Cure: Using a clean knife cut off the infected part of the plant. You may have to cut the plant to the healthy part so the plant can grow again. You need to use a clean knife so bacteria don’t spread all over the plants.ugh the cuts on leaves.
4. Cactus Mosaic Virus
If a cacti plant feels like a funky dress it may be infected by a virus that is called a cactus mosaic virus. This virus changes the shape of the cacti plant and spreads to other plants easily.
Cure: Sadly, there is no solution to this virus. The best thing that you can do is to keep the infected cacti away from the other plants. Now try to be careful with your gardening to escape these viruses.
5. Frost Damage
Cacti plants normally grow in hot weather and harsh environments. If there is a little drop in the environment cacti may have to face frost disease. If the weather of the area becomes cold the cacti plants are unable to adjust to that temperature and get wrapped up in this disease.
Cure: The solution is to cover the plants with a warm cloth or remove the infected part. If you feel a change in the temperature try to avoid giving water to the plant and make sure that the soil is dry.
6. Scale Insects
Scale insects are the kind of insects that attach to cacti plants and suck them up until the plant summy is discharged. The symptoms of this disease a small black or brown bumps on the surface of the cacti plant.
Cure: The treatment of this disease is removing the insects manually with the help of a brush. You can also use neam oil or any other oil that can be used in removing insects from plants.
Final Words
Wild Cacti a very strong plants that don’t need humans or a specific environment to grow. This article will be helpful if you are facing this kind of disease in your cacti plants. All the dises that may occur in cacti plants, their reasons, symptoms, and solutions have been discussed in detail.
FAQ’s about Cactus Disease
Q1: What causes powdery mildew on cactus plants?
Ans: Fungal infections can be a big and main reason for powdery mildew plants.
Q:2 Can the cactus mosaic virus be cured?
Ans: Unfortunately, there is no cure for the mosaic virus the best you can do is avoid this virus spreading.
Q3: What should I do if I suspect my cactus is diseased?
Ans: If you suspect that your plant may be infected you may have to check the symptoms diagnose the disease and go for the solution.
Q4: What should I do if I suspect my cactus is diseased?
Ans: You need to remove the infected part of the plant and plant it in new soil.
Q5: How can I keep my cactus plants healthy in the long run?
Ans: To avoid these diseases the best you can do is to avoid over-watering and try to keep your fresh plants from old infected plants.