It's been a while since I last posted here, so I thought it was about time I did. Today I'll share pics and characteristics about a cactus I used to have but sadly I don't anymore. It's death is still a mystery to me. It was perfectly fine one day and the next it looked like sh**!! My guess it was a fungus attack that didn't show any signs until the damage was beyond recovery.
Here is a picture from when I bought it:
Something I learnd with this cactus and others is that ALWAYS CHECK FOR ROOTS! There are some very very unpleasant people out there that just cut cactus, put em on some soil and out for selling they go. I found this one had no roots about a month or so after buying it, when I was transpotting some of my collection.
It didn't look quite alright so I made an extra cutting and waited it to heal after putting it again back on soil.
After a week or so it was back again with the collection, as I assumed it had already sprout some roots. I don't have pictures (or i couldn't find em) from how it looked like when it passed away lol. I tried to save it by spraying fungicide but i guess it had reached a point of no recovery. A sad day indeed that was.
I'll leave you guys with some recommendations for it's cares, in case you find yourself having one in your collection and don't want it to perish like mine :)
Characteristics:
It has a green/blue-colored stem. Can grow up to 2 meters high (perhaps more). The spines are black (which make it, with the combination of it's skin color, one of the most attractive cactus I had), with 1-2 central ones of around 3cm and some (around 3) radials one of 1cm each.
Cares:
Like all cereus types, it loves direct sunlight. Watering should be done only when the soil is completely dry. During winter-autumn it is advised not to water or do so only during hot days and in very little amounts. Soil must allow for excess water to dry fast (the one I used back then failed to do so... That's why I guess fungus proliferated).
Flowering:
BEAUTIFUL big flowers. Needless to say that my C. aethiops died before it could pull any flowers, but I've seen some online and they are amazing. I'd say they are an exact copy of some other cereus, so i'll leave a picture of a flower from my Cereus peruvianus hehe
Well... I hope to one day get another specimen of this beautiful cactus. I know that by that time i'll be better prepared to take care of it and make him grow strong and beautiful. See you guys!
I always have a problem with the roots. I don't check them and they die before I could do anything. Sometimes I wondered it they needed more water, sometimes maybe too much water. I enjoyed reading your passion for cactus and succulents and I hope to join you in your community some day :)