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 Addressing undersized new growth & leaning
Inquiry and possible soultion to stated problem with columnar cacti.
Inquiry received from concerned owner of Cephalocereus senilis, "Old Man of Mexico"....
"I've got a Cephalocerus
senilis (old man of Mexico), which is potted in a 4" clay pot, stands almost
7" above the soil line, and is about 3" - 3 1/2" in circumference. (Maybe 10
years old??) This is the end of my first season with the cactus. It seems
to be pretty fat and happy being one of the centerpieces of my collection,
but last week, I moved it from the cold windowsill to a warmer inside table
area, and noticed that the new growth atop the plant (about 1/2") was not as
fat and wide as the growth below it... There is new, short, white hair that
has sprouted from the top, but I'm still a bit concerned. Also, in the past
season, the senilis has developed a slight lean. The windowsill it was on
during the spring/summer/fall was south-facing, and I noticed that this is
one cactus that absolutely adored the heat and sun. In a nutshell, due to
the subfreezing outside temperatures, the plant is now on a table which
receives both lamp and sunlight. Is the new growth's shape cause for
concern? (Etiolation? Poor feeding?) Is there any way to correct the lean
without damaging the plant? Attached is a hand-drawing of my senilis."
Possible solutions:
The new growth is typical and probably nothing to be concerned about. Mine,
in the greenhouse, sometimes do the same thing. The new growth emerges
slender then fills out in time. Sometimes, you can look at older plants and
see slight indentations or rings at the level of each year's growth.
As far as the leaning goes, it can be corrected somewhat by re-potting in a
manner so as to tilt the plant back into a more upright appearance. You will
still have the bend, but the top will be pointed upward. Another thing you
can do is a little more time consuming.
First, let me say that cacti do develop an orientation to the sunlight. They
become accustomed to receiving most of their light from the side facing the
window. If you change this orientation for a plant that has been in the same
position for a long time, you run the risk of frying the side that has been
away from the light source. Rotating the plant a quarter turn on a weekly
basis is a way to obtain a more upright growth habit. This is the only way I
know to do this for a plant that does not receive its light from all sides
and above.
Just gradually expose the underexposed side so as not to burn it.
You could also try "staking" the plant to help straighten it. Place a rigid
bamboo, or other stake, in the side of the pot that the plant is leaning away
from. Use a strip of panty hose material to put slight pulling tension on
the plant. Gradually, over a period of several weeks, increase the tension.
This would work in time, but is probably not the best option. The panty hose
material will allow light and air to pass through, and if it is about 1" wide,
will not mark the plant.
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