Cacti Question

[Shades-of-Oregon]

Best way that I can think of how to tell if the cacti are still alive or dormant is check the roots carefully.

 

[SPedigrees]

Best way that I can think of how to tell if the cacti are still alive or dormant is check the roots carefully.

They are not dead! I'm not sure where that idea is coming from. They *might be* suffering from lack of water, but I won't be plucking them out to examine their roots if they are already stressed from dehydration.

I did check out the state of rainfall in Phoenix, and as I suspected, half of Maricopa County is listed as under extreme drought, while the other half is under severe drought. So it seems that watering whenever it rains in Phoenix is not such a great idea right now, since it never seems to rain there at all anymore.

I've resolved to water my cacti once a month until the drought ends, if it ever does. And step that up a bit this spring. Mother Nature has thrown a monkey wrench into my watering protocol.

It's sad to think of the impact that the drought and extreme heat are having on indigenous plant life in Arizona. There is so much natural beauty there.

 

[ducks4you]

Cactus Watering Guide: Water Your Cacti Right To Survive

Cacti are fascinating plants that can thrive in some of the most challenging environments. Watering your cacti outdoors, however, can be a bit tricky, as

www.succulent.care

Your cacti look very dry.
I think I would pull them from the pots and take a good hard look at their root systems. If any are too far gone they won't have any roots. Repotting will loosen up the soil and help them grow more roots so it's a win-win.
After repotting (same pot, same soil) I would deep soak them today, by giving them room temperature water that runs out through the bottom of the pot twice, then come back in 30 days and do the same. You should look for some swelling to indicate that they have taken on water.

Usually, the deserts have a monsoon season and everyone says that is when the desert blooms and color is everywhere. This is when the reproduce.
When your cacti get back to healthy, you should see some bloom on them.
Btw, I used to keep a big, 12 inch wide barrel cactus, a gift, until I got busy with very young DD's and left it outside on the porch to die of cold.
I didn't let it get rained on, but it did grow for me and always looked green.