How to repot this bruiser of a cactus so it doesn't lean

[Aridane]

I have posted before about this bruiser of a cactus which Nanthewiser identified as a (very etiolated) Ferocactus, and possibly F. hamatacanthus,

That was an interesting video.

Also that her 3’ cactus was a ‘cutting ‘ she salvaged from a rotting cactus where she sliced the bottom rotten bit off and left it for a number of months to callous over before repotting / ie it survived without any ongoing nutrients for months!

On the watering thing. I didn't see cactuses like yours around, but I did live in a desert environment. It rained about 3 times a year - and nothing from March to November. The "soil" was so sand like it drained pretty instantly.
I wouldn't worry too much about the roots cacti were designed for harsh environments.

my succulents have been growing like weeds since i repotted them into bonsai "soil". it's a mix of pellety granules rather than a compost texture. little in the way of nutrients but a good open structure that encourages the roots to grow. roots need air as much as moisture, the poor soil structure and lack of air is what causes them to rot.

stand the pot (with a hole!) on a saucer and water until it comes out of the bottom. you can empty to the saucer so it's never standing in water. they can survive without water but if you want them to grow you need to water regularly. they also like the brightest light you can give them.

Thank you, both - and I have a bag of cactus / bonsai 'soil' ready to repot and see how it goes.

It might need a bigger pot so roots ( if there are any ) can spread?

I if it's that dry I would soak it in a bowl of water till all the air bubbles out and then leave it propped upside down to drain.
I would possibly leave repotting till the spring, in general one doesn't repot now as the plant sits and rots in the new compost with no active growth.

I will soak cactus this evening - though cannot quite believe I'm talking about soaking (!) a cactus

i've had to repot several things recently emergency style, including an aloe that wouldn't fit back on its windowsill and an orange tree on its last legs. the orange was still in field soil that was essentially a ball of clay and rotting. the aloe is racing away and the orange looks noticeably perkier. i think with indoor (or sometimes indoor) plants there's less of a seasonal pattern, maybe?

if it's already on its way out a repot could tip it either way i guess.

then again i'm horribly cavalier with my gardening exploits - i'm air layering and trying for hardwood cuttings atm :D

Oh god I'm a bit invested now in hope Cactus McCactusFace lives 😱😂

Can you come back and tell us he still liveth when you've soaked him ?

The fruit of some Opuntias is often made into a jam Or sold as "prickly pear". I find them sweet but insipid. "Dragon fruit" which is more commonly available, is also a cactus.

I will soak cactus this evening No, don't! Although I suppose if it's indoors and warm it'll cope with being moist over winter. I stopped watering my greenhouse cacti in September, to give them a chance to dry off before winter.

It isn't the best time of year to re-pot. But what I'd do, from where you are now, is remove all the soil and all the dead dry roots, then pot it up in cactus compost or in ordinary compost with with up to 50% added grit, tilting it slightly to bring it back to vertical and giving it some support since it wont have much in the way of roots to hold it firm. I wouldn't water it, because even if it's in the warm, light levels won't be enough for it to grow much, and you will have damaged the roots with repotting, so you'd like them dry rather than wet to discourage rotting.

There will still be some moisture in the compost.

Don't worry about things. Cacti have got quite a strong will to live. And they're designed to live a very long while without water.

educational thread thanks :)

Oh dear, sorry to read that Aridane. I'm not sure that just soaking it is going to help much, it sounds as though the bottom of the plant has just dried up (or rotted).
The video link from wolven does show how to reroot a large cactus (you might not need such an elaborate support for yours), but at this time of year, it will take months before it's likely to root. You would need to cut the bottom off until you get to healthy tissue, leave it to callus for several weeks, before sitting it on DRY, very gritty mix, and just leaving it for several months. If you're lucky, it should start to produce roots eventually ( they can do this even when kept completely dry), and then start watering cautiously.
I hope you have some luck, it's rather upsetting when it's a plant you have nurtured for such a long time.

Cross posted with MereDint!

I should probably tell you not to take my advice as I managed to let a cactus die over the summer.

I took a couple of pictures of unpotted cactus to show status of desiccated roots but didn't post as was too embarrassed / put out to show what my lack of care had done...

How did you kill your cactus, @Autumnfresh?

I suppose actually even well-looked after plants in optimal conditions still die for inexplicable reasons

@Aridane I just didn’t water it and left it in full sun. The irony is I have 3 in the front garden that we’re here when we moved in and they are flourishing despite getting zero attention.

I hear you on the not watering it bit...

Also the leaving in full sun. I thought I would give my plants a treat and put them out in the sun in the warm spell we had and give them a nice watering from the hosepipe

Well, what a mistake that was - some of my more neglected houseplants reacted quite violently - one literally burnt black on the last couple of inches of leaf tips. And another had leaves bleaching in the sun. And another succulent got sunburn - though the others happily loved the sun, with the combination of watering and warmth and sunshine making them have a growth spurt and grow lovely and plump.

A lot of people make the mistake of putting houseplant out in full sun, which is FAR stronger than they have been used to indoors, resulting in scorch - even succulents will suffer. They need to be gradually acclimatised to strong light conditions. It can happen in greenhouses too, usually in April, when the sun can get quite strong, and cacti that have been sitting in winter's gloom, can scorch quite badly.

As far as watering cacti goes, while they happily take weeks of dryness in their stride (they are well -adapted to arid conditions) when grown in a pot, they do require watering regularly in warm weather.

In habitat, growing in the open ground, their roots (which are quite shallow) can spread quite a distance from the plant, and are very good at obtaining moisture from overnight dew, or fog. One particular species - Copiapoa, grow in the Atacama desert, and NEVER receive rain - all their moisture needs are provided by fogs that roll in from the sea. They grow to great ages, several hundred years, but are very vulnerable to the fires that sometimes sweep across the habitat.

(I think I'd better stop now!)

No, no - carry on for as long as you have the energy. It's endlessly fascinating and very educative!

I remember in another thread you said you used to professionally show (if that's the right word) succulents

You've got a good memory! Yes, I used to exhibit cact and succulents years ago ( and with my late husband, who was a qualified C & S judge).
I exhibited in the BCSS National show which is held every four years in Spalding, Lincs. This event attracts growers from all over the country, and plants shown there are the very best of the best. I can't remember now how many classes I got placed in, but I know I got firsts in a couple, and some seconds and thirds. It was a long time ago, maybe 1992, not sure.
I don't show these days, as it's a labour of love to prepare the plants for showing, and large ones are heavy! But I still have plants that IMO would stand a good chance in some classes.
I've been a member of The British Cactus and Succulent Society for over 40 years, and attend monthly meetings for talks by other like-minded enthusiasts, and also sell small plants there. I sell on eBay too - usually rare and unusual stuff, that can command quite high prices, this funds my buying and I often pay £50-100 on a rare plant.
I've just bought a super-duper heated propagator with lights for some particularly tricky succulents that originate from South Africa and Somalia, which is in my front room (no space in the greenhouse!) which you can see in the pic attached.

@NanTheWiser - when you suggested cutting the bottom bit off, I thought goodness, that's a bit extreme , Surely I can just put the cactus back in the pot and hope for the best. However, I think I would be burying my head in the sand and deferring the inevitable. Particularly given that the big root ball I had when I first potted the cactus has disintegrated.

So it's taken me a week to accept that I will need to do radical surgery if the cactus is to have a chance of recovery - though It's probably too late now (and it won't survive). But nothing ventured , nothing gained

I didn't post pictures as I was embarrassed and thought I would be heavily criticised - but then this is Gardening and not AIBU !!

So judgIng from this picture, where would you gut the cactus?

Would you cut it just above the main brown bit I thought was corkage? Or be more radical and cut just below the top where it is nice and green?

So here is the cactus laid down flat, unpotted