Are you having trouble with your cactus? Does it constantly feel like this is something you want to keep your eye on?
Don’t worry as we have got just the thing for you. There are many ways that your cactus would turn yellow and mushy.
However, it’s necessary that you acknowledge or at least try to figure out what is wrong with your cactus.
Cactus plants are not generally temperamental. They tend to stay relatively stable during their care; however, if you feel something amiss with your cactus plants, you may want to check them out.
You can’t figure out what’s wrong with your cactus if you’re unsure of the signs that go into cactus correction.
One of the first things you must look out for is your cactus turning yellow or changing colors.
It’s almost inevitable that your cactus will change colors as the weather changes.
However, it’s the most necessary thing to know why your cactus is changing colors.
Cacti sometimes change colors because they are kept in various environments and need time to adjust.
There are many reasons that your cactus is changing colors. Some of the reasons include water, soil, and drainage.
Cacti are known for being super low-maintenance, so it would only make sense that you would get concerned when the cactus you have starts turning yellow.
Also, it’s common knowledge that your cactus turning yellow is not a good sign.
There may be something wrong with the whole cactus, and you may need to fix the problems as soon as possible.
Without further ado, you should look at why your cactus turns yellow.
Table of Contents
Why Is My Cactus Turning Yellow?
Cactus turns yellow because of several reasons. A cactus could be yellow for several reasons.
However, there are some things that you have to keep an eye out for.
A cactus turning yellow could be because it was getting too much light, too much water, or even too much soil.
The yellow color indicates there might be a more significant issue with your plant.
However, the likeliest reason is that you may be over or underwatering your plant.
You could be using too much water or too less water, and you might never know.
Position of the Cactus
One of the significant matters you should know is that the position of the cactus tells you a lot about the kind of sunlight it would get.
This will dictate the amount of water that the cactus will have.
Cacti should enjoy a lot of direct sunlight, but you don’t have to constantly keep them in this light. You can switch them in and out.
However, since the cactus plants seem to thrive in the direct sunlight, placing them in the shade for a long time could them a lot of issues.
If you don’t expose them to the proper lights, they may crumble and become more yellow by the minute.
Desert Heat
Cacti can survive the heat with relative ease. It can also survive all the drought-like conditions because these are easy to manage.
They also don’t need to be managed like all the other plants you have around.
If the heat is too excessive, the plant will dry out. However, the problem is still better than if you overwater a cactus.
Most experts recommend you don’t water the cactus unless you can see that the soil is all dried out.
Once it seems like the ground is all dried out, you can add water to it so that your plant looks and feels better.
Weather
It would be best to remember that the weather months can impact the water intake of a desert cactus. In the winter months, the water intake for your cactus will be different than what you think it is.
The winter months will result in the water table turning much higher.
If you continue to water your cactus during this time, you will likely have your cactus plant turn yellow and mushy.
If you have overwatered your cactus plant, you may have to stop the watering and then resuming to water your plants once they are all dried up.
Many people also think that this is when you would have to repot your plants, so they feel better and have a better chance of feeling more content.
Fertilizer
There could also be other reasons for your leaves turning yellow. It could be that your plants aren’t receiving as much nutrition as they should.
They could turn yellow because they lack the phosphates, nitrates, and other nutrients needed for green leaves.
If the problem is that of fertilizer, then you would find that you need to check up on the fertilizer you are using.
Cactus is not the same as regular plants. For cactus, the fertilizer needs to be very specific, and you have to ensure you follow the correct method of fertilization too.
Otherwise, there will be more significant damage than your leaves returning to their regular color.
Why Is My Cactus Mushy?
We now know why a cactus can turn yellow. Now, we will look at why it may turn soft and squishy.
Your cactus might be squishy or mushy because of all of the reasons that it is also yellow.
Overwatering
One of the most common reasons you may feel like your cactus is becoming squishy is that there may be too much water in the plant.
You may be overwatering the plant, resulting in it needing less water to survive.
If you feel you have overwatered the plant, you will have to put it in a dry area and let it sweat the water.
You could also opt for a place with a lot of sunlight to have less water all around.
Root Rot
If you think your cactus is suddenly mushy, there may be something seriously wrong with the root network.
We know that any plant will uptake water from the roots. You may encounter a problem if something is seriously wrong with that root.
The root systems being all messed up could be why you have a cactus that isn’t firm or erect but is mushy and flaccid.
If you think that you have root rot, then you may be in for some trouble.
You will have to remove the cactus from the pot and remove and cut down all the roots you think are causing the problem.
You must be careful not to damage any healthy roots to move the cactus into a newer pot.
Poor Drainage
Another aspect that may be causing your plant to turn into mush may be the pot has poor drainage.
If you think the cactus is in a pot with poor drainage, it will turn squishy, and the roots will rot.
Poor drainage generally occurs because the pot may be too small, and it might not have the drainage holes that the cactus needs to filter through the water.
Your safest bet is to find a pot with drainage holes in the bottom. Once that happens, you can allow the water to drain into the soil.
You will also need to pick soil that is coarse so that it can allow the water to pass through.
Once you feel like you’ve chosen the proper ground, you can place it in the container and then repot your cactus so it can return to being healthy again.
Humidity
Cactus plants are not used to humidity, so you may want to keep it in check if you ever encounter it.
The increased humidity levels may feel like the reason your cactus is all mushy and has no room for growth.
Increased humidity could also mean that your cactus has a fungal disease that may cause your plant to become squishy and soft.
It can also happen that the fungus can cause your plant to become squishy and soft. It can cause the roots to become deplorable, and they may even waste away.
If you feel like your cactus is humid, you need to move it away and put it in a much drier place.
You will have to take some time to ensure that all the metrics are met so that the cactus isn’t yellow or mushy.
Final Thoughts
We have listed all of the reasons that your cactus may be turning yellow and mushy.
However, if you’re still unsure about it, you can always go to an expert and have them check out the different reasons for you.
They may be able to provide you with a better idea of what’s wrong with your cactus plant instead.
You can then use this information and what we have stated in the article to give yourself a better idea of how to take care of your cactus plant.
