Cactus life is not always sunshine & butterflies | Downsides of growing + Cookie health update
Vložit
- čas přidán 2. 03. 2024
- Some days we feel up. Some days we feel down. Today was one of those down days. First, it's the downside of growing plants. Now I understand why growing large numbers of seedlings is so important - because plant yields can drop at any time. You've seen the birds destroy my seedlings and now you'll see the rust fungus destroying my seedlings. Sigh, the highs and the lows of growing plants.
Second, it's my Cookie. Cookie has been in diabetic remission for 2 years. Then I noticed the signs of the diabetes returning again. Luckily, I can home test for blood glucose now so I was able to verify that Cookie's glucose was elevated and get her to the vet as soon as I could. But that means we're back to monitoring glucose and giving insulin shots every 12 hours again. And insulin is one heck of a scary and dangerous hormone. This time we have the Freestyle Libre to help monitor Cookie's glucose, but it doesn't make the decision making of if and when to give insulin and how much to give any easier. After this video was made, I tried installing a new sensor on Cookie at home by myself (the sensor lasts for 14 days). I was able to get it on and to stick but I'm still stressing now about whether I placed it correctly and whether I hurt her in the process. Stress beyond stress...
With five concurrent chronic health issues to manage for Cookie, saying that I'm overwhelmed is an understatement. And it's wearing me down. Luckily for Cookie, the burden is all on her caretaker. As far as she's concerned, she's getting lots of special treats, all the food she wants to eat, and a ton of close attention, which is just about all she cares about with regards to having a good life. So at least we have that.
Sigh...
Connect with me on Instagram: / cookiescacti
You can sell them. Hard grown. Shows character.
God bless Cookie. I also have type 1 diabetes and wear the sensor. I'm hyperglycemic most of the time and don't always feel great. It's very stressful and I'm pretty worn down at this point.
I hope she's feeling OK. Sending best wishes ❤
Oh my goodness, Jan. That is so hard. Out of all of Cookie's chronic health issues (mid-stage kidney disease, hypothyroidism, high blood pressure, IBD) the diabetes is the most challenging to manage at this point. It is so hard... Wishing you all the good health vibes 🙏
Hello! That first cactus is an ortegocactus, and it's one of my favorite cactus! It's hard to tell on camera, but I may not worry about those rust colored spots as it's a known adaptation of the species. Over time, they develop those spots, and apparently it's to help them blend in with their environment. I personally think the color contrast with the rust spots and the reason they occur make Ortegocactus even cooler! One day I'll own one haha
As for the other plants, I've seen some recommendations for treatment of rust with Bordeaux Mixture (copper sulfate), Physan 20, or sulfur powder, which you seemed to have tried. I've only tried using Sulfur powder, and I've had some success forming more of a viscous mixture and gooping it on, but I've only done it for seedlings and Pereskiopsis, with mixed results. I mostly have rust issues on my seedlings, and I have yet to find a surefire way of treating it. To my understanding, the discoloration will never go away, but the growth can be controlled or stopped - I often hear good airflow and less humidity is a good way to slow growth of the fungus. And if you're super desperate, I've defeated rust on seedlings twice now by grafting!
Wishing both you and Cookie the best, hope that she feels better soon!
I love cookie ❤ anyone with a kitty feels your stress 🤗🤗🤗
💚💚💚 the understanding thoughts from all the cactus and cat lovers here means so much
Sending all the healing vibes ❤️🩹 to you and cookie! 🫶🏼
Thank you! We need all the healing vibes we can get! 💚💚😁
best wishes to cookie 🍀
I'm sorry this hasn't gotten better. 😢 I hope Cookie starts feeling better again soon ❤
Maybe the way Desert Plants of Avalon uses Copper fungicide would help, she put the Copper fungicide directly on the rust with a brush. Even on her Lophophora. I have put the liquid concentrated c.f. on Stapelia and euphorbia with no ill effects.
Keep the faith.
Quarantine all the ones with rust! Sucks!
This 👆
Hi Jenny, i feel so sorry for your poor coocki. I have no cat but i have dogs, and when one of them is ill, i feel ill for myself too. So i can imagine how you must feel. 😢 I wish the best for your cat. Best wishes from Martina, Germany.
Awww thank you so much, Martina. It's so hard when our loved ones get sick. I really appreciate your well wishes - we'll take all we can get!
I hope that Cookie's glucose readings stabilize-for both of your health-her physical and your emotional. I am on the downside of plant life right now and thought I might get rid of all my plants-instead I had a bowl of ice cream 😆
I hope Cookie will get better 🫶🏻. I know how stressful it is when your cat is sick. My cat Toothless was hospitalized last two weeks ago since he wasn’t eating for two days. The vet found out that their is blockage on his urethral. He was then diagnosed with FLUTD. He is now under a special diet, and I need to careful measure his food, give his medicine and vitamins precisely, and make sure that he drinks more water.
Sending the best wishes for Cookie. 🙏🏻
Iv’e had multiple losses, too. The humidity was through the roof due to an unusually dark and rainy winter. We had an amazingly dry summer last year, but then the winter was unbearable. Rain day after day for weeks at a time with almost no sunshine. My plants are all in a grow tent under strong LED lights, but the humidity was hard to control. I will invest in an industrial quality dehumidifier for next winter. I lost a myriostigma and a beautiful parodia chrysocanthion among others. The parodia really gutted me as it happened right after it flowered abundantly.
In my country, they sell fungicides for roses that supposedly treat rust. I’m not sure that it works for cacti, but a lot of the cactus nurseries here sell them. Maybe you can find something similar in the US? I really don’t know.
Keep your head up high! All the best for you and cookie best wishes from germany
I needed this message... thank you so much, my friend. Hello from me and Cookie all the way from Arizona!
Hi Jenny, here in sunny California,
well most of the time. I was hit hard with a rust problem too from the same big rains that traveled your way. It’s the worst outbreak I have ever had. I am trying the organic bio fungicide that was recommended to you. I have isolated the infected cacti from the rest of my collection.
It seems the brighter orange color of the fungus spots are shrinking but the original scars are still there. Not sure if the warmer drier weather is helping too. I have tried horticulture oil spray but not sure if it really works. I have sulfur fungicide to try next.
My prized Coryphantha elephantidens var. Tanshi is pretty infected with rust covering a solid 1/3 of the plant. No visible progress with the fungicides I have tried on it. Perhaps it has at least slowed it down from spreading.
I hope you eventually get a handle on your rust problem. Yes it is frustrating!
Wishing the best for your cat Cookie🙏
Animo que todo vaya mejor. Saludos desde México.
The good thing is that cockie is not in pain. And the good thing about the cacti is thatcyou improve the genevpool for the next generation.
100% Cookie is living the life! All the burden falls on me, but as long as she's doing well, I'll take the burden. And I totally agree about the gene pool, with my growing style, the strong remain.
I vaguely remember one of the videos mentioning that good ventilation can help prevent fungal issues in cacti. I'm thinking of starting with a low-to-the-ground greenhouse and adding a fan powered by a 1'x1' solar panel to improve airflow.
I agree - I saw many comments about ventilation. I'm just so restricted on what I can do at the moment... overhauling the current setup would take significant time and effort. A fan may be doable though and as solar panel would be perfect in Arizona. I'm thinking to do some preventative measures next winter and see if it helps (or not).
Ortegocactus just do that, wouldnt worry about that one, a natural reaction to stress apparently. With the Astrophytum I wouldnt assume the spots are starting outside and working in. Astro's in particular are very prone to rot if wet in the dormant season. I would check the roots as it may be from damp soil with no roof on, and working up from there. Certainly the fully rotted one looks like that, and the one with the split too i think you will find. If some are genuinely starting outside working in a spray with copper fungicide might help so long as it can dry quickly.
Maybe this summer (or next) pot up a bunch of the surviving affected plants into group bowls (clumps ?) To let them grow out to seed. You can put the copper fungicide straight on the rust, then arrange them so that the blue doesn't show when viewing them. It would make room on the tables for more seedlings later. You can acclimate the bowls to full sun and grow them "hard".
I personally would let the worst infected plants go , I know it sucks, but it will help protect the rest of your collection.
Suggestion is to isolate the infected plants.
❤️
I watched a video from a guy in Southern California who sprays bug spray around the perimeter of his greenhouse and has no bug issues. I also saw another video from a guy in the Philippines who uses Bonide systemic insect control granules. He sprinkles a spoonful into the soil while potting his cacti. I tried to order some insect control granules from Amazon, but they refuse to ship it to California.
This season it seems my biggest issue was fungus, sigh! I will be better prepared next winter season. So far, I get the usual mealies (most likely farmed by ants), but I just go around periodically with a bottle of rubbing alcohol to spray and it keeps it from going too out of control.
I'm so sorry. I would take every plant that even looks suspicious out of your shade house.
Poor Cookie, I hope the best for her. How old is she? She was really interested in that bag lol.
She managed to send us off with a smile on our face after a sad one
I live in the valley too but on the west side. I have 200 outdoor potted cactus and have never had a fungus problem. I’m wondering if your plants are not getting enough sun and air flow. Mine get full sun from Nov to about April May. Then i rig up a sun type shade for the hot summer.
I was surprised people suggested a covered greenhouse. The sun hardens the skin. Also being edge to edge not a lot of airflow between them. Maybe test a few fungus ones by placing in full sun and spread out for more air flow. Your cactus are beautiful and i feel your frustration. Good luck
Hi Christine, thank you for sharing this info. I can't leave the plants out in the open because of the birds. The thrashers came and did a first round of seedling and plant destruction before the rust even arrived. That's why the seedlings and my more precious plants are kept within the shade structure. I'm bounded by challenging limitations unfortunately. Next year I think some preparation ahead of the rainy season should do the trick.
It’s sad when you have seedlings did on you after a year or however long
I now try not to use fungicides.
I am now using organic methods to protect my cacti using some plant-friendly microbial pesticides, and I feel the results are great so far.
How do you apply the organic methods? Is it a regular application to keep the issues at bay? I would like to start an organic regimen like this, that would be ideal.
I use Trichoderma to fight fungi and Bacillus subtilis to fight harmful bacteria.
Trichoderma fungi can parasitize other fungi to destroy harmful fungi. At the same time, it can occupy the soil ecological niche and prevent the reproduction of other harmful microorganisms.@@cookiescacti
Rust is absolutely the worst. I would quarantine those plants affected quick smart. Rust spores spread very easily. I don't see why you can't sell the plants that have a bit of scarring. I sell ones like that a bit cheaper and just take photos of the damage so people know what they are getting. A lot of people aren't put off by a bit of scarring.
It is so bad... I need to take preventative measures over the upcoming year. First I have to see who survives another Arizona summer, who knows what this summer will bring! At least the rust has stopped spreading now since it's been so dry and it's heating up again. Thank you for sharing that scarred plants can still be sold and that a lot of people don't mind it. I think it gives it character.
Jenny, please do not respond to me because it can be too stressful to keep up with everything. I just want you to know that I am thinking of you and Cookie. I had a pup with Diabetes and it is very stressful and lots of needles for sure.
Awww Nancy, I have to respond! Thank you so much for your thoughts. I just hope that with time I'll start getting used to doing this and knowing what to do without thinking too much. I'm sorry that you also had to go through this with your pup. It is so stressful! Out of all the chronic health issues that Cookie has, this one is probably the toughest because of how dangerous insulin is. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me some words and sharing your own experience!
Cookie… not sure if this is an option, but have you thought of running an ozone generator in a closed room with the infected plants?
Very interesting suggestion! I didn't even know that ozone generators existed! The tough thing is that I don't have a good enclosed space to do something like this. But it's really good to know about ozone generators, perhaps even for other purposes besides plants.
Would it make sense to quarantine the most infected plants away from your healthy plants?