Are my cacti dead?

My apologies if this is in the wrong area, feel free to move it.

Quick piece of history on them, it might be useful in your diagnosis: I bought these 2 cacti from a farm shop 2 years ago and they were fairly small. Then, all of a sudden, one of them sprouted what looks to me like a spiky arm that shot right up into the air.
I thought it was healthy and then it started to droop some, mostly the one without the spiky arm, the one that seemed to enjoy the most sun. So I took the plants from the pot and replanted them, both still together like. Slowly they began to discolour and to look the plant-version of ill. Then, just when I was considering what would probably be a smelly cremation the little brother of the two grow its own spiky arm.

They're still discoloured and starting to droop again, what should I do? They don't look quite as unapproachable as they did in their prime.


Sorry about the poor picture, I have another but it's even worse than this one. It looked fine on the screen on my digital camera!

 

It obviously Opuntia of some kind.

Cant say for sure but I would suggest they dont actually have any living roots.

Cacti are one of the few plants than can actually grow for a short amount of time even if they are rootless.

Is it possible you overwatered them at some stage months ago, perhaps during the winter even.

You could cut off the bits that look good and reroot them, but its not really a good time of the year for that now, spring or summer is best.

Interestingly you appear to have some seed capsules on them, which suggests they were in flower perhaps when you got them?

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

Yep I'm with Pete =] after killing numerous house plants (even cacti) I'd say that's your problem

 

HBK, can you cut off one of those red bits and post a picture it really does look like a seed capsule.
Look up "prickly pear"
http://www.google.co.uk/images?q=pr...tle&resnum=4&ved=0CDwQsAQwAw&biw=1594&bih=673

 

You're right, there are definite similarities, but the red bits are the same as the green bits (on the left in the picture) except they've discoloured and began to droop for whatever reason. I'm pretty sure they're supposed to be green.

 

Cacti are full of resources when it comes to surviving, I have noticed.
Your plant is definitely very thirsty and maybe touched by frost...is it possible?

 

I don't know about it being thirsty because I water it fairly regularly, probably more regular than I should. As for frost though that one I can be sure of, we haven't had frost here in Yorkshire in a while.

 

What appears to have happened is the new growth has grown by sucking the moisture from the bottom part of the plant, I'm thinking the bottom part has no living roots so its shrivelled in the process.

I've laid cacti cuttings on the bench in the greenhouse to callous over the cut surface, and left them a bit too long some times, its not unusual for them to either grow or even flower without roots.