As we have seen previously and although cacti and other types of succulent plants are very resistant to diseases, pests, and disorders, like any other plant they can suffer from these types of problems.
Today, we will talk about the diseases that cacti and other succulents can suffer.
It should be noted that diseases in this type of plant can be produced and caused by 3 different types of pathogens :
- Fungi: they are the most important and mostly affect cacti
- Bacteria: they are not as frequent as fungi but they can be present in some succulent plants
- Viruses: they are the least frequent of the 3 and if they appear they are quite difficult to determine.
Today, we are going to talk about the species of fungi that can attack our succulent plants, since as we have just mentioned, they are the most frequent diseases that occur in these types of plants:
- Fusariosis: this type of fungus scientifically called fusarium oxysporum, generally lives in the soil where the plant grows and is characterized by infecting the roots by excess moisture. In case of its appearance and that only the lower part of the plant has been affected, we can save the rest of the succulent by cutting clean and using it as a cutting.
- Neck rot: The fungus that causes neck rot is known as phytophthora. It is characterized by producing a black or brown discoloration at the base of the stems. This type of fungus generally appears due to excessive watering, so it is advisable to avoid excessive watering and flooding of the soil where our succulent or cactus is planted.
Cactus Diseases
