Moon cactus is a grafted cactus which comprises a colorful upper part. Many people tend to grow them as houseplants due different moon cactus colors.
It has become a trend to grow moon cactus as houseplants recently due to their attractiveness and due to vivid colors they have.
You could spot the upper part of the cactus in red, yellow, pink or sometimes even in orange. This colorful upper part of the cactus is what gives the brilliant look for the entire cactus.
Chances are that some of these moon cacti could carry multicolored tops or variegated tops as well.
However, all of them have small clusters of sharp spines which you could spot spreading down through the veins.
Different colors on moon cactus.
You could spot their cactus in different colors such as in bright red, pink, orange, purple, yellow white and even in neon.
I am sure you have come across neon colored moon cactus a lot. You could commonly spot them selling at stores.
They will look so attractive along with a thick green stem and with a neon ball on the top.
On the other hand, you could spot the bicolor varieties of the moon cactus as well. for example, red and yellow and orange and white etc.
Due to this special feature, they would greatly fit in for any type of cactus garden container.
If you ever wonder why does this cactus sell as a grafted cactus and why cannot it stay as the colorful moon cactus as it is.
Well, there is a reason behind this. This colorful cultivator cannot survive on their own.
They do not contain chlorophyll and hence they cannot conduct the photosynthesis and produce energy for them to survive.
Having said that, dark purple or the dark burgundy colored variety could grow on their own as they got some amount of chlorophyll. Further, the darker varieties could form flowers as well.
Moon cactus color fading
The faults you do in watering, and issues with moisture and humidity contribute to color fading in the moon cactus.
In addition to that, when they do not get adequate sunlight, that would also result color fading of the moon cactus.
As such, you need to make sure that you fulfil all these basic requirements so that you will not have to encounter such things.
Do moon cactus change color
Moon cacti tend to change their colors when they are in their latter part of their life span and when they are going to perish.
Moon cactus in general do not usually live long. However, they would survive for about 2-3 years.
Having said that, the down part of the cactus would still tend to look okay and would survive for a longer period.
Moon cactus lost color
Bug attacks could be the main factor for the moon cactus to lose color. In most circumstances it could be nematode bugs.
They are a sort of parasitic bug. They could be so dangerous since they could affect the cactus’ health.
Further, they would cause discoloration in the moon cactus stem as well. it is very difficult for you to identify these bugs at once since they would be in the soil most of the time.
Once they invade the moon cactus, they would lose the distinctive green color in the cactus as well.
You could get rid of them by soaking the roots of the cactus in a jar which is full of water. Then you could spot how those black dots fade away from the cactus.
Further, you need to disinfect the pot with boiled water and with soap. Apart from that, it would be safer if you could cut the damaged roots from sterilized equipment such as shears, scissors etc. Alternatively, you could consider repotting them as well.
Why is my moon cactus turning white?
Scale attack is what causes the moon cactus to look white. Scales usually are dependent on the juice of the moon cactus and further they tend to form colonies in the cactus.
If you spot any white coating, those would be most probably them. They would look like mealybugs.
Moreover, what is more alarming is that they could reproduce faster and could create further repercussions in the plant.
When the scales are attacking the moon cactus, you could see them forming white spots on the surface.
That would give them a white fuzzy appearance for the cactus. As such, it is vital that you treat this as soon as possible so that you could avoid any further damage.
To treat them, you could quarantine the plant and spray water faster at them.
If not, you could take them off using tweezers. Moreover, you could use alcohol dipped cotton buds to remove the bugs.
Continue doing this so that you can get rid of them. As a precautionary step, you could apply a systemic insecticide.
Why is my moon cactus turning black?
Moon cacti could turn black as a repercussion of extreme sunlight.
Moon cactus are sensitive to sunlight and when you leave them under the scorching sun, that would cause them to turn black.
Hence, if you spot your cactus turning black, you need to relocate them to a shady place to protect them from extreme sunlight.
How to tell if a moon cactus is dying
Generally, the moon cactus would stay alive for about a couple of years. Simply because it is more dependent on the graft and its host cactus.
In case, they start to split, that is when they are going to die. In addition to that, over watering could be one more reason for moon cactus death.
Why is the moon cactus top turning brown?
Over watering could result in the moon cactus’ top turning brown. Those brown parts of the cactus would be soft and mushy.
In addition to over watering, under watering could also affect turning the moon cactus top brown, particularly when you had skipped watering for several months.
Apart from the above, too much direct sunlight could also affect the moon cactus’ top turning brown. Moon cactus need indirect and bright sunlight to survive and not direct harsh sunlight.
So, you could simply move the plant to a shady place if you feel like your moon cactus top is turning brown.
Conclusions
Moon cactus are such great plants to grow, and it would be a treat to watch them flourishing.
They are easy to care for, and you only need to make sure that you fulfil their basic growing requirements.
If you wish to add a pop of color to your succulent collection, moon cacti would perfectly fit in for that requirement.
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