Hey me hearties.

I received a rooted Huernia hislopii cutting several months ago which I potted, as I have with all my of staps, in a commercial cactus/succulent mix. It was a pink-grey when I received it, but it greened-up fairly quickly and seemed to be doing well.

With spring it started to gain a pinkish cast again, but I didn't worry about it as it seemed to be the increasing amount of sun that caused it. I've been keeping it fairly dry too, but about a week ago I noticed that it looked a bit sickly and yesterday I moved some of the potting mix to see that the stem was a lemon yellow below soil level. It seemed a bit loose too, and with a gentle tug it came up, dead roots and rotten base and all. I have had a bugger of a time with fungus gnats, and I had quite a few coming out of the pot, even though the mix is quite dry.

The mix is more organic than I think is good, but finding decent cactus mix in Hobart hasn't been easy so I've put up with what I have to date. My S. gigantea and S. varigata have rooted well in it so up 'til now I've not worried about the composition. Also, I've had the pot near a north-facing window to get the meagre Tassie winter sun which my other cacti and succulents are thriving in, but I noticed that there was a bit of a cold draught coming through a moisture drain in the bottom which might have caught the huernia in its path.

Anyway, I immediately cut the stem above the yellowing, and it was green and juicy inside. It seems to be callusing well enough, and I'll give it another few days before potting it in dry river sand, which is about the only stuff I have that will probably reduce the moisture/gnat problem, but I am wondering if there is anything better that I can do to try to rescue the top. I love my huernias and staps, and I was so chuffed to get a piece of this species, but I am now worried that the piece that's left doesn't have enough oomph to make it through to robust growth.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, and if anyone has a bit of hislopii spare if I lose this one, I'd be happy to parley. For that matter, I'd be keen to know what stapelids of any species people might have to sell or trade, but my immediate concern is to try to nurse my little bit back to health.

A very despondent Woody...

just googled the Huernia hislopii and I reckon Ive got a goodly amount of it. my main issue with growing it well is with mealies.
I'm hoping to get a bit of cristate Huernia hislopii that I discovered some months back. need to find a good reason to go back there and chat with the elderly owner.