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[cactusjames]

Hi all!

I recently purchased a 16" cactus through the mail from a seller who claimed the specimen was a "Non-PC T. Pachanoi Torres and Torres specimen". I, of course, had my doubts on the whole "Torres and Torres" thing but it looked like a beautiful cactus to me so I decided to purchase it.
When I received it in the mail, it looked JUST as described EXCEPT for the fact the entire bottom/cut portion was covered in black mold(not rot).  Other than that it was just what I had hoped it would be.

I'm not sure if this is actually a pachanoi, because it looks similar to some kind of short spined peruvianus to me or maybe some kind of cross, but I would highly appreciate it if anyone could chime in with their thoughts on what kind of cactus this may be and what particular growing conditions it needs depending on what exact specimen it is.
Also, was I correct in assuming the best course of action was to cut a bottom piece off until there was no mold shown(as well using isopropyl alcohol to rub the ENTIRE cactus in case of unseen spores)? I have dealt with rot before but not black spotted mold so I wasn't sure if I should just scrape the mold off or cut the bottom(which I did).

Thank you for ANY response!!

I know I have more questions I wanted to ask, and if I think of them I will repost, but until then...here are some pics...

Pictures..

1. Straight out of the box.
2. Closeup on the mold.
3. A better look at the top portion.
4. Close up of areola(most have a longer central spine)

[cactusjames]

Here are some more pics because for some reason STS wouldn't let me post 8 photos in one post.

Pictures...

1. Another look at the cactus with length marked.
2. Bottom/end right after I sliced the bottom off.
3. Pic of bottom after ~12 hrs of drying in front of fan.
4. Cactus after 12 hrs of drying w/ yardstick.
5. A better look at whole cactus.

[SKUNK]

Seeing as you cut the black mold off.   I would have done the same.  So for rubbing the entire cacti  I don't see a point.  Just clean you citing utensil and make a clean cut with a sharp knife.   On a base I like to cut at 45° angle so water doesn't pool and rotate the top off    I'd put the cutting out of sun and light in the dark with a fan or air movement blowing on the cut end to help it callouse over until it callouse over.  There is no rush to plant it a healthy cutting (which an yours looks like after the cut can last a few months or longer out of soil .  Once calloused over.  Then plant in a dry cactus/succulent soil.  I like to amend my soil for my local grow conditions but sifted succulent soil works good.

After about a two-three weeks you should have roots.  Be gentile with it though and water as needed.

Skunk

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[Frog Pajamas]

Looks good. It looks like a pachanoi to me, or like you said maybe a pach Peru cross. Good looking specimen either way.

Like skunk said, let in callous for a while, like a couple weeks at least. A good starting point for cactus soil is 50% organic material and 50% drainage, so half potting soil and half perlite or similar. Leave it in a warm spot in the shade and don't water it until you have roots. Once you have roots, water it a bit and start to acclimate it to sun.

Congrats on the cactus!

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[Psylocke]

Hey man. Sorry for not answering your PM yet. Just super busy between work, kids, and getting ready for vacation.  I could have saved you a few bucks since I have multiple Torres and Torres plants. I originally got mine from Sacred Succulents. It is actually my fastest growing cactus. Also VERY resistant to disease. I've given away tons of cuttings while many of my other cacti were decimated by black rot this one just keeps multiplying. Your cutting looks just like my plant, so I'd say the ID is correct.

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[cactusjames]

Hey man. Sorry for not answering your PM yet. Just super busy between work, kids, and getting ready for vacation.  I could have saved you a few bucks since I have multiple Torres and Torres plants. I originally got mine from Sacred Succulents. It is actually my fastest growing cactus. Also VERY resistant to disease. I've given away tons of cuttings while many of my other cacti were decimated by black rot this one just keeps multiplying. Your cutting looks just like my plant, so I'd say the ID is correct.

Thank you SO much for the help/advice/possible offer!!(The seller I got it from said he got the mother plant from Sacred succulents as well!...are you sure you aren't the seller who sold me a moldy cactus?!! LOL jk).

I am EXTREMELY embarrassed by how much I paid for this particular cactus cutting. I'm actually SO embarrassed, I'm afraid to say how much I paid for it to you guys. I basically spent the majority of my "monthly cactus budget" on it. I knew I was paying more than I should, but I just simply couldn't find anything that looked ANYTHING AT ALL like a Non-PC pachanoi for sale online....and since a Non-PC pachanoi is one of the Tricho's that I DON'T have in my collection...I just jumped at the chance to get this one and outbid the other bidders by quite a margin to guarantee I got to add it to my collection.
...and then it comes in the mail covered in black mold! AHHH! I am so glad I am a member of this wonderful online community. You guys seem to be very knowledgeable, friendly, generous, and most of all...HONEST. I REALLY feel honored to be a member of STS.

Thank you all for your comments...and I hope to hear from you guys even more!

*I actually do have experience rooting tricho's...in fact I have three PC's right now that have been rooting for about 2 weeks(I know for sure that one is already sprouting out a couple thick short roots). I use a mix of ~30% cactus mix, 30% soil from my backyard, 5% - 10% sand, and 30%- 35% perlite for rooting AND growing many of my cacti that are in pots. I know that this has significantly more organic material than a lot of people recommend for rooting, but I have had good luck with it in my HOT Texas climate(it was ~95 degrees today).

 Of course I keep the rooting soil COMPLETELY dry while rooting...BUT...do you guys think my tricho's could benefit from me using a bottle sprayer to spray a little water near where the small thick roots are popping out when I GENTLY part the soil to check on the roots(which I almost never do)??

[misplant]

the bottom was perfectly calloused and then got some moldy spots, as in no bfd.  a tooth brush & powdered sulfur would have addressed that issue & you could have planted the same day.  been there done that many many times.

if you wanna buy cuts, i'd highly recommend cactusaffinity.com, he's a member here & he'll treat you right....

as for black moldy, you ought to see what a cut trich does when exposed to weather.....  cut flat encourages multiple pups around the perimeter, cut at an angle pups tend to emerge on the upside of the slope.....

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[cactusjames]

the bottom was perfectly calloused and then got some moldy spots, as in no bfd.  a tooth brush & powdered sulfur would have addressed that issue & you could have planted the same day.  been there done that many many times.

if you wanna buy cuts, i'd highly recommend cactusaffinity.com, he's a member here & he'll treat you right....

as for black moldy, you ought to see what a cut trich does when exposed to weather.....  cut flat encourages multiple pups around the perimeter, cut at an angle pups tend to emerge on the upside of the slope.....

Thanks for your response!
I initially thought (as I mentioned already) that maybe I should just scrape off the mold somehow as you suggested, but since I hadn't seen mold on my cacti like this before I decided to play it safe and cut a quarter inch off(I didnt know if the mold put my health at risk). Turns out other members agree that I did the right thing, but next time this happens I'll try it your way and see what happens.
And thanks for the tip about cactusaffinity! Im not sure which member of STS runs it, but I'm sure I'll figure it out soon enough. I've been to that website before but for whatever reason decided not purchase anything....I think because it wasn't clear(to me) where it would be shipping from(out of country...US?).

And yea I've had cacti "rot" from weather exposure. Nasty looking. Destroyed a nice  T. peruvianus I had.

Thx again!