Question
I started a cactus in a dish garden over 20 years ago.  It was about 4" and in a shallow dish.  When it reached 6" it was transplanted into a larger pot and thrived in a corner location with several hours of sun per day.  It has reached a height of 24" and was "tight" with hundreds of branches.  About 6 months ago the plant was dropped and repotting was necessary. It seemed to be recovering until last week when the plant began to "open" rather than remain tight.  It had been fed Miracle Gro about a month ago.  Will this cactus again "tighten?" and would you suggest that it be sparsely watered or given more water?  This plant is a "family member" so any advice that you can provide ASAP will be appreciated.
With thanks,
Bob Kane

Answer
Robert,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. There may be a couple of reason for your plants changing appearance. One is that when it was dropped, it was damaged. The other may be that the main stem or the roots have been damaged or are rotting. Hopefully it is the former and not the latter. As long as the main stem is normal, then it may be a lack of water. Just make sure the soil is dry before you water it. It would really help if you could send me a photo to [email protected].

Also, you should try a product called "Superthrive" when ever you transplant anything. Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Greg