Plant Health Problems See Houseplants for a detailed discussion of the other common problems that occur on cactus. Affected tissues first appear as small circular, water-soaked spots. As the bacterium spreads, the spots enlarge and develop a blackened, slimy, wet appearance.
Tissues can crack and ooze a brown liquid.
When the lesions girdle the base of the plant, the plant wilts, collapses, and decays. If the spots are recognized at an early stage, affected areas can be excised with a sharp, clean knife. Infected parts can also be removed as soon as they are evident. However, once the main stem has been invaded, recovery is unlikely. Careful watering to avoid splashing helps to minimize spread of the bacterium.