Dog Tail Cactus Growth Pattern And Question/Hypotheses 

Succulent Living by Marija Johnson, that makes sense! I wasn’t thinking about the long skinny parts when I answered you before! These guys are epiphytes meaning they grow in more wet forested conditions attached to trees. So they don’t live in dry deserts. They can survive periods of drought when rains get sparse seasonally, but in general like a lot more moisture than true cacti and more than most succulents as well. These guys are more rain forest cactuses and are native through parts of Mexico and into South American and the Caribbean, so they definitely like more moisture and higher humidity levels than most. So the moisture thing could indeed be a contributing factor to this narrowing growth. These guys were in a very dry environment before I got them, and were bone dry when I purchased them. Being dry is fine, but not for too long, and who knows how long since they’d been watered. Usually you have to worry about plants being overwatered from big box stores, it’s sad the one time when they should have watered the “cactus” they didn’t! 😝. But it’s recovering nicely. So that’s ok. But please do let me know if the rain water helps the thin growth like this please let me know! And thanks very much for bringing this up, cause we need to figure out what causes it and spread the word! 😁

Ashley Glassman thank you? 😊 it probably helps that Michigan summer humidity is high and that plant becomes like a jungle. Grows a lot during the time that’s outside.

This is exactly what I was talking about with my monkey cactus, too! I got my monkey cactus this past August and I only water with rain water and he’s still doing it! The misting is a good question, I’ve wondered that myself and have also asked Lyn questions about care for the plant. She said to keep them dry in the winter so I didn’t water for about a month and this still happened. My gut was telling me it was thirsty so I have since given him a drink of rain water once a month. My gut is also telling me etiolation. I got a green house for Christmas and plan on moving him out there once this insane cold moves off. I’m in NC, for reference 😉

Honestly , I really don't them looking that way, mine is that way too, I think it gives them a cool look.

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crazy4cocoapuff, After these guys getting proper light at my house for a year, most of the thin etiolated stems actually filled out to normal size, but a few of them were too restricted and never filled out, and those I pinched off. I should maybe do an update on these now that time has passed. Thanks for the info, I couldn’t find it back then! Good to know my gut was right this time! Thanks for your comments and happy growing! 😘🥰🥰👍🏻

Jacquelyn, thank you. Yes I’m very familiar with aerial roots, those weren’t the confusing part for me on this guy. I was particularly referring to how narrow the branches were at the end. On dog tail cactus They should grow out narrow, then slowly fill out to match the size of the leaves closer to the base. But this guy was continuing to grow out extremely narrow tips on its leaves, and wouldn’t fill in no matter what I did. Thankfully, it seems to have been needing more light, as now that they’ve been in a south window for a 6-8 months instead of the west window they were in, and got good sun over the summer they are now filling out and growing normally again! 🤗

I would also like to know how I can water them without them getting wet & drawing? I found if I don't water them around the base of the plans, then they'll shrivel up & die, so I am quite confused as to how to water these plants/cactuses & how often??

I have a mouse tail rhipsallis and it is a rhipsallis. I've had it for about 5 or 6 years and it's one of my most favorite plants. I love all epiphytic plants and have several. I also have a dogtail and mine is doing the same thing. we have very cold winters where I live so it has to be inside in winter. BTW (I can only speak from my experience) I repotted my mouse tail about 3 years ago and it was very unhappy. I put it back in it's clay pot and it calmed down and did fine.

Try to cut some off & replant the baby & separate the big one!! Maybe it has no place to grow from?!

Is there anyway I can make it grow back fat again?

So if it grows hanging it don't shoot little ones out? I guess hang it, but separate it first!! If it keeps falling, then make new pots, just hanging ones!! Time to repot mama 🥰🤪

"mstamalaj" I wanted to apologize for cutting in & seeming like I "knew it all"!! For 1. I definitely know Nothing about these cactuses 2. I truly get so excited about things, I sometimes step on my own two feet & get myself in trouble, so with that said, I apologize to the both of you!!

Jennifer Blankenship that’s okay! I actually have it hanging in a macrame hanger now on a clothes rack specifically for my plants where it won’t fall. It is right in front of my window. It has been growing back pretty well and I have realized that this cactus loves water. There is never a wrong time to water it.

@@mstamalaj that's awesome!! I went & bought 2 new plants from Walmart & didn't think to check them for bugs.. turns out they had mealy bugs, so I've been dealing with that little infestation & my cactus got caught up in the rain while they were all outside!! So I've been devistated thinking it was going to kill it!! I'm really pressing it'll be ok!! I've had to replant, treat, treat some more!! It's been rough, but I'm hoping they'll be ok & I lost the new ones already!!😢😢

Btw I think it's etoliated ends

yes, you can either touch the end of dogtail in Root tone then insert in the soil, Or put in clear jar or cup little water in front of window and root. Then you can add to a pot of soil once rooted. Good Luck.

I just cut them off stick them in orchard bark no water until roots. The cut will grow new babies. I just throw every one that breaks in a pot I have them growing every where

I've split mine up just in case something happened to the big plant, in case I messed something up & I've got some of those little shoots & I agree, it's from not enough light!!!

@@jensb.9595 Jennifer mine also started to rot this summer as it was outside and this summer 2020 we've had a lot of rain. I think it just got too much water so I put it in a more sheltered place where I can control how much water it gets and it's starting to come back.

There suppose to but I've had mine 2-3 years and it hasn't bloom any flowers. I wonder if it's because those skinny ends. I just put very little water in mine. I read to water them once every 3 to 4 weeks. They need Very little water especially in the winter month's because they go into like in a hibernation mode.

If you put them outside in partial sun and shade, can you leave them outside if it rains? That might be to much water?

Yeah I guess so

Diane Chu Hing yeah it would be to much water

I have only one dog tail cactus in my mini green house it has shade but it also receives a lot of son

Lack of moisture

The Service Pups, mine do that when they get too much sun/not enough water. Keep in mind these are epiphytes and tropical cacti, not desert cacti, so they will get stress color like thanksgiving cacti, and orchid cactus. Hope that helps! ❤️

It's producing anthocyanin as a form of UV protection. Some of these epiphytic cacti are revered for their red pigment.

I need to know when to repot mine? Plz help???