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Is this etiolation or something else?
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Is this etiolation or something else?


Just trimmed this guy. It’s been struggling for a bit and I’m trying to get it together now that most of my other plants are settled and it’s springtime. Idr what type of plant this is, it’s directly in a SE facing window and gets a lot of light, and I tried to put a plant light on it once and it seems to just get worse. I water it once a week. Thoughts?

by FreshBlood4105

3 Comments

  2. ohdearitsrichardiii

    It’s a fishbone cactus. They’re from the rainforest and prefer dappled light and to be watered fairly often. They grow long thin branches that fill out sideways so next time leave them and let them mature

    Your plant looks dehydrated, water it more often

  3. Iridescent_Mango_

    I can almost guarantee you if you look at this in the middle of the day it’s not getting very much light. It’s very high up in the window so chances are high most the light is hitting the pot not the plant, which is being shaded by the building and the window frame. Because it’s a rainforest plant it doesn’t mind a bit of dappled light, no need for full full sun, but the upward pointing, narrow leaves suggest it’s not getting as much as it wants.

    He’s also too tight in that pot, either larger pot is needed or the clump needs split. 

    Lastly, watering. Fishbone cactus are an epiphyte, a tropical rainforest plant. They don’t necessarily want what other succulents do. You say you water once a week, but that doesn’t really tell anyone much. They want a fairly airy mix, damp but not wet, so a bit of orchid bark into he soil (do not do this for other succulent types) is usually appreciated. When you water you should SOAK the plant until the water runs out the bottom. In a pot this size once a week is probably too much in winter (watering should be reduced when it’s cooler), but the pot is very full so when it’s hot and dry it may very well need that often. He’s visibly shrivelled so something is up with the watering, be it too much, too little, or overly compact soil not absorbing water properly. 

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