Prized for their unique appearance and water-wise habits, cacti are typically easy to cultivate, low-maintenance landscape or indoor plants.
However, problems occasionally occur, and if your favorite prickly plant has developed soft, mushy tissue, it’s usually down to a handful of common problems.
A healthy cactus should feel firm and plump, even if it’s a species with a fleshy or rounded shape.
Whether you’re dealing with a spongy patch on a prickly pear or a softening crown on a barrel cactus, you’ll want to act quickly.
Left unchecked, the issue can progress, making it difficult – or impossible – to save your plant.
Conditions such as root rot, over- or underwatering, pests, and cold temperatures can cause trouble in the form of soft or yellow stems, tender spots, a bruised appearance, or overall malaise.
If your succulents are suffering, all is not lost! Most cacti are strong, tough plants and with some remedial work, you should be able to bring your plant back to health.
So if you’re ready for the healing to begin, let’s get into five main reasons why cactus stems go soft and what to do about it.
Here’s what I’ll cover:
5 Reasons Why Cacti Go Soft
1. Overwatering
One of the most common issues that causes soft tissue on cactus pads and stems is overwatering.
The large majority of cacti are drought tolerant and have evolved a shallow root system to absorb water quickly and hydrate plants from infrequent bouts of rainfall.
If they’re watered too often, or sit in wet soil, the roots become over-saturated, resulting in aboveground tissue damage to pads and stems, as well as putting the plants at risk of root rot.
Overwatering typically results in mushy or yellowing sections, overall drooping and wilting, and dark spots or a bruised appearance.
In extreme cases, the plant’s base can soften and turn black or brown, slowly collapsing above the crown.
To assess your watering habits, check the soil moisture at a depth of three to four inches – it should be allowed to dry out completely between water applications.
A moisture meter can help to determine moisture levels in outdoor settings and for houseplants in large containers.
