This guy was straight up a week ago, and now is slouching considerably. Since then, I've really done nothing. I watered about 2 weeks ago, it's been sunny here (New Mexico), but considerably colder. In a south facing window. Color looks great. Any thoughts?

You have some type of echinopsis chamaceres (peanut)....not sure about southern exposure, but make sure it gets direct sun, unfiltered, unobstructed light(the side with the least ammount of trees/buildings etc because it is getting etiolated. Growing upright isnt a issue with this one, but growing thinner is.
Also does the pot have drainage holes?

skopjecollection said:You have some type of echinopsis chamaceres (peanut)....not sure about southern exposure, but make sure it gets direct sun, unfiltered, unobstructed light(the side with the least ammount of trees/buildings etc because it is getting etiolated. Growing upright isnt a issue with this one, but growing thinner is.
Also does the pot have drainage holes?

Thanks. So, the sideways growth would be less of an issue for me if it hadn't been all of a sudden - there's definitely something wrong. My first guess would have been overwatering, except I haven't watered it in a while.

In terms of etiolation, I moved it maybe 2 months ago to this southern facing sill from a table in the bedroom, so hopefully that will fix it.

No, unfortunately the pot doesn't have drainage holes. When I was first getting into cacti 2 years ago, I bought a bunch of cheap pots from Marshall's that didn't. I mostly by ones with holes now, but not exclusively, as I live in the desert southwest (NM) where we have basically no humidity and constant sunlight, so the pots without drainage holes still tend to dry out really, really quickly - usually by the next day.

That last point, of course, leads to whether or not I should water more frequently, but everyone I talk to seems to indicate that the 2 week cycle I use (during the summer) is best. Now, I'm transitioning into winter so going 3 weeks this time, then in November going 4-6 weeks or less (haven't decided yet).

tccarnuel said:

Thanks. So, the sideways growth would be less of an issue for me if it hadn't been all of a sudden - there's definitely something wrong. My first guess would have been overwatering, except I haven't watered it in a while.

In terms of etiolation, I moved it maybe 2 months ago to this southern facing sill from a table in the bedroom, so hopefully that will fix it.

No, unfortunately the pot doesn't have drainage holes. When I was first getting into cacti 2 years ago, I bought a bunch of cheap pots from Marshall's that didn't. I mostly by ones with holes now, but not exclusively, as I live in the desert southwest (NM) where we have basically no humidity and constant sunlight, so the pots without drainage holes still tend to dry out really, really quickly - usually by the next day.

That last point, of course, leads to whether or not I should water more frequently, but everyone I talk to seems to indicate that the 2 week cycle I use (during the summer) is best. Now, I'm transitioning into winter so going 3 weeks this time, then in November going 4-6 weeks or less (haven't decided yet).

Get a glass drill bit, drill some holes. That should be your priority. Cacti roots do worse when having wet feet. You want a fast draining frequent watering cycle....
Also did you even move your plant outside?

Light is important, lots of other things have been mentioned, but in my experience this plant tends to be a bit droopy. The main stem may grow sideways for a while, at least until it is surrounded by branches that lift it up, and eventually it becomes a clump. So this is not necessarily a sign of anything particularly wrong at this point, but there's also nothing wrong with reexamining how you are treating the plant.

Compare to this plant in a 3 gallon pot (maybe not the same as yours, but it's in the ballpark).

Baja_Costero said:Light is important, lots of other things have been mentioned, but in my experience this plant tends to be a bit droopy. The main stem may grow sideways for a while, at least until it is surrounded by branches that lift it up, and eventually it becomes a clump. So this is not necessarily a sign of anything particularly wrong at this point, but there's also nothing wrong with reexamining how you are treating the plant.

Compare to this plant in a 3 gallon pot (maybe not the same as yours, but it's in the ballpark).

• Peanut Cactus (Chamaecereus silvestrii)
• Uploaded by Baja_Costero

Wow that's truly amazing! I really appreciate the feedback, and hope mine turns out okay.

As a bit of an update, I ended up watering it a bit earlier than scheduled, and surprisingly it picked right back up and straightened out. About a week later, it drooped again, but not as bad, so I gave it just a touch more water, and perked up again. It's still not fully straight, but thinking maybe this one just needs a bit more water than some of the others, so I'll plan on increasing the watering schedule more and see what happens.

These cactus are very forgiving but they still have 2 requirements: full sun and pots with drainage. Its not about how fast the soil dries or how little you water. Its all about how much oxygen the roots are getting. Pull it out of that pot and put it into a proper draining pot and it will grow rapidly and happily.

I have 4 - I must like them. Your lack of humidity is only good for keeping the mirrors from steaming over when you shower. Your cactus still needs proper drainage and proper watering.