Why is My Cactus Dying? (How to Save it)

The reason for a rotting, dying cactus is because of overwatering, slow draining soils and cold temperatures, which cause the cactus to turn brown or yellow with a soft, mushy texture. Cactus are drought resistant plants that need the potting soil to dry out between each bout of watering.

Keep reading to learn why your cactus is dying from the bottom (basal rot disease), dying from the top downwards (stem rot), dying in Winter or why your cactus is dying after repotting and for how to implement the solutions to save your dying cactus…

Cactus Dying From the Bottom up (Basal Rot Disease)

Desert cacti turn brown and soft with a dying appearance at the bottom of the plant due to basal rot disease. The rot is caused primarily because of overwatering and slow draining soils, however cold temperatures are often a contributing factor.

Most houseplant cacti are native to hot and dry, arid climates with low average rainfall, growing in sandy or stony soils that are well draining and do not retain much moisture.

Cacti develop basal rot disease at the bottom of the plant that spreads upwards with a brown mushy texture (sometimes causing the cactus to lean) is they are in conditions contrary to their dry native environment.

The most common causes for the cacti’s brown rotting base is because of watering too often, or the cactus has been planted in ordinary potting soil that retains too much moisture around the roots.

Cacti needs to be in a gritty specialized potting mix that replicates the soil structure of its natural habitat and only watered when the potting soil has dried out completely to be healthy and avoid rotting at the base.

Cacti Dying at the Base in Winter

Whilst basal rot disease can occur at anytime of year, it is the most common reason for a cactus dying in Winter.

This is because cacti are in a state of dormancy in Winter where they do not grow due to the the cold Winter temperatures and fewer hours of light.

Cacti should be watered less often in Winter, during dormancy in comparison with active growth in the Spring and Summer when there is a higher demand for water.

If you water the cactus at the same frequency in the Winter as the Summer then the lack of demand for moisture means the cacti’s roots are uptaking water at a much slower rate, if at all. This means the potting soil stays damp for much longer which promotes the conditions for both stem rot and basal rot disease.

The cold temperatures can also be contrary to some species of cacti preferred conditions which promotes rot, however cacti are a diverse family of plants and some cacti are perfectly capable of tolerating cold temperatures, as long it does not go below freezing.

Usually the bottom of the cactus turns brown or yellow with a soft mushy texture which can spread upwards and causes the cactus to die back.

However a cactus with basal stem rot can be saved…

How to Save a Cactus Dying at The Base

To save a cactus dying at the base it is important to first address the environmental problems that caused the basal stem rot disease in the first place. This means watering with the right frequency at different times of the year and possibly repotting your cactus into well draing soil that mimics the soil of the cacti’s native range.

• Only water a cactus when the soil has dried out completely. Cacti grow in an environment where they experience a deluge of rainfall followed by a period of drought. Therefore it is important to replicate this cycle of watering indoors to prevent and treat the rotting base.

To establish the optimal watering frequency of a cactus, feel the soil at the bottom of the pot, through the drainage hole in the base. If the soil feels damp then delay watering for a few days. If the soil feels dry then this is the perfect time to water cacti.

You can also pick up the cactus’s pot after watering to assess the weight and the then periodically afterwards as it should feel progressively lighter as the soil dries out.

• It is important to acknowledge that cacti should be watered far less often in Winter whilst they are dormant. Typically I only water my cactus every 4-6 weeks in Winter to avoid rot.Cacti can always cope much better with underwatering then overwatering, so if in doubt, delay watering for a week or so. It is worth checking to see whether the soil at the base of the pot is damp periodically.
• If you have potted a cactus in ordinary potting soil then it is likely that it is retaining too much moisture for the cactus to tolerate and this is the reason you cactus is dying from the bottom. Repot the cactus in succulent and cacti soil (available online and in garden centers) which is composed of a gritty soil that replicates the soil conditions in the cacti’s native environment.

• Clean the cactus’s pot with disinfectant as the pot can still harbor the fugal pathogens that cause basal stem rot.

Once you have corrected the environmental conditions then it is possible that the cacti can recover, but I would strongly recommend that you take a cutting from your cactus fro propagation as even if you create the optimal conditions for the cactus, it is possible that the basal stem rot spreads and kills the cactus.

Cacti are extraordinarily capable of growing from propagated sections, cuttings and off sets from the remaining healthy growth. This is an easy and fun way to grow a cactus. 

Cactus Dying From The Top (Soft Brown and Mushy)

If a cactus is dying from the top downwards with a dried out tip and a brown soft mushy textured layer underneath is due to stem rot which is caused by overwatering, slow draining soils and cold temperatures.

These three factors (overwatering, slow draining soils and cold temperatures) are responsible for basal stem rot (rotting from the bottom upwards) and any rotting from the tip downwards or any other, brown or yellow dying mushy section of cactus.

Therefore the treatment is more or less the same.

Correct any environmental problems by (as described in the section of the article above):

• Only water when the soil is dry,
• Reduce watering frequency in Winter.
• Plant cacti in ‘succulent and cacti soil’ to improve drainage.

I would also recommend that you plant cacti in a terracotta or unglazed clay pots as they are porous which allows the soil to dry out more evenly after watering, whereas ceramic or plastic pots are impermeable and retain moisture which promotes the conditions for rot.

In terms of specifically treating a cacti that is rotting and dying from the top downwards it is essential that you cut the brown rotting section off with a sharp pruning tool way back to healthy growth.

If you cut the cacti back to healthy green growth then this reduces the chance of the rot spreading. The wound where the cactus is cut should callus over and the cacti can survive. However the wound where the cacti is cut is still vulnerable to infection.

Therefore I recommend that you sterilize the wound with a natural fungicide called ‘neem oil’ which is a natural, no toxic oil that has anti fungal properties and should help to prevent the would from being reinfected.

If there are any off setts growing from the cactus then I would recommend cutting these off for propagation, just in case the problems of rotting from the top persists on the main plant.

Cactus Turning Soft, Brown or Yellow and Mushy

If the cactus is turning soft, brown and mushy in sections then this is a type of stem rot also caused by overwatering, slow draining soils and cold temperatures. Desert cacti are drought resistant plants and do not tolerate excess moisture around the roots which causes the brown, rotting, mushy areas of the cactus.

Therefore it is again, important to follow the same steps of only watering when the soil is dry, scaling back the watering in Winter and planting the cactus in well draining, gritty soils.

Cut out any brown soft rotting sections out of the cactus completely back to healthy, normal, non mushy growth with a sharp pruning tool,or the rotting mushy sections spread and cause the entire cactus to die back.

I would recommend sterilizing the wound with a fungicide such as neem oil to prevent any reinfection and spread of rot.

If you are repotting the cactus it is worth looking at the roots to check whether they are healthy or rotting.

• Cacti roots that are healthy should appear white (or light brown) with a firm texture, whereas roots that are rotting appear slimy and dark brown with unpleasant smell.

Snip back any roots that are rotting back the base of the cactus. Repot the cactus in succulent and cacti soil and discard the old soil as it can harbor the disease that caused the roots to rot.

Wipe the blades with a cloth soaked in alcohol disinfectant between each cut to prevent spreading the fungal pathogens from diseased roots to healthy sections of root.

Clean the cacti’s pot with disinfectant and repot the cacti.

Whether or not the cacti is going to recover, depends on how severe the root rot is, but the cacti is capable of growing new roots and surviving.

If possible I would also consider propagating any off setts, pads or cuttings from the cactus, in case the main plant dies back.

Cactus Dying After Repotting

The reason for a cactus dying after repotting is usually because of root rot due to compacted soils, slow draining soils or because the new pot does not have drainage holes in the base causing the cactus to turn brown soft and mushy.

A common mistake when repotting a cactus is over-potting which is when the cactus is planted in a pot that is significantly larger then its previous pot.

Larger pots have a greater capacity for soil and therefore a greater capacity to retain moisture. If there is too much moisture around the roots of the cactus for too long then the roots start to rot which results in a soft, brown, rotting cactus.

How to Save a Cactus Dying After Repotting

To save your cactus repot it into a pot that is only an inch or two larger then the previous pot. If the pot is of a similar size then the soil should dry out at a similar rate, thus mitigating the risk of root rot.

Repot the cactus in succulent and cacti potting soil as this imitates the soil type of the cacti’s natural environment, with excellent drainage.

I would look at the roots to see if they are rotting (dark brown with soft, rotting texture and foul smell), in which case cut the rotting roots back to healthy growth with a sterilized pair of pruners.

Wash the pot with disinfectant before repotting to remove any fungal pathogens and ensure that the pot has drainage holes in the base.

Always empty saucers and trays underneath the pot of excess water regularly to ensure good drainage and prevent root rot.

Cut any soft, brown or yellow rotting sections of cacti back to healthy growth with a sharp pruning tool to prevent rot from spreading and treat the wound with a fungicide such as neem oil.

Again from my personal experience, if your cactus is rotting anyway, I personally recommend propagating the cactus from any remaining health growth as cacti propagate easily and it could be the best way to save the plant.

Key Takeaways:

• A cactus turns brown, soft and dies from the bottom because of basal rot disease which is due to overwatering, slow draining soils and low temperatures. Cacti need the potting soil to dry out completely between each bout of watering or they start to rot and die back.,
• A cactus turn brown and dying from the top indicates the soil is too damp from overwatering and poor drainage.
• Usually the reason for a cactus dying after repotting is because the cactus is overpotted and the soil is not drying out fast enough, causing the roots to rot. Always repot cacti in pots that are only 2 inches wider then its previous pot to prevent overpotting resulting in root rot.
• Cacti die in Winter if the soil is too damp and the temperatures are too cold. Cacti are dormant during Winter and have a much lower demand for water. If you water the cacti as often as Summer then cacti is likely to die of root rot or basal stem rot disease.