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Q: I have a 3 foot high cactus that I transplanted to the outside back in May. It did well until this week; the top is mushy, not firm and the plant does not seem to be doing well, not firm. Is this due to the cold spell or is there something else I should be doing?

dkuechel

A: Hello,

It sounds like the tip froze in the cold snap we had the week before Christmas. Young, new tissue in the tips of plants are often too young and "juicy" to be as cold hardy as the rest of the plant. The cells have just not had time to load up with sugars and mineral salts that help keep the water inside from freezing and bursting the cell walls. You can try spraying the tip with liquid kelp to help it heal and boost the sugars and salts in the damaged tissue. Watch it for signs of infection, you may need to treat with household hydrogen-peroxide or a fungicide if there are signs of rot down the road.

If we get another freeze alert cover the tip, a styrofoam cup works well on column cactus. Just push it down over the top until it sticks firm on cold nights and remove it in the morning. You don't want to leave in to since it makes a sealed little hothouse where fungus can thrive.

Hopefully by spring your plant will have healed up and it should out-grow any scars in a season or two. Often frost nipped tips lead to branching.

Good luck,
Hap