In January of 2022 I bought myself a birthday gift—an echinopsis “easter lily” cactus. Have you ever seen their profuse annual bouquet of pink? Incredible!
Echinopsis “easter lily” cactus (Creative Content, Pixabay: Rauschenberger)
Here in Los Angeles, cacti are typically simple to grow outside. I have barrel cactus that I simply plopped in the garden and never again had to fuss with. But the 2022-23 winter was a challenge for potted plants. We had more rain than California has seen in decades and it was just too much constant moisture for the potted cactus. It began to rot.
At least 1/3 had rotted into a deep pit before I noticed it. I pretty much considered it a lost cause, but I’m not one to give up on a plant! I sprayed a strong solution of liquid copper fungicide all over the rot. It actually turns the brown part a pretty blue—helpful so you know you’ve treated all the bad spots. A week later I added a second treatment.
Liquid copper fungicide - an inexpensive and effective medication in the home plant pharmacy
I monitored daily and the rot seemed to stop. But gradually, imperceptibly at first, the cactus took the rest of the work into its own hands. It seemed to be pulling the rot below the soil line, like it was nursing its wound from below. Again, incredible!
I wish I had a before photo, but this week, a couple months since treatment, the rot is almost gone. The rough edge you see at the soil line used to be the rot that had nearly reached the crown of the cactus. A view from the opposite side, you can see that the cactus has regained its original shape from its lopsided state. This baby is only about 2” in diameter. What a little fighter! And the takeaway is: don’t give up on plants, they possess strong regenerative properties and sometimes just need an assist.
The last of the rot, which used to be at the top of the cactus and is gradually being pulled downward.
A couple months after treatment, you can’t even tell this little cactus was in rough shape.