What is this strain coming out of my cactus

Aerial roots. They tend to show up when your cactus gets taller. It's searching for stability.

Thank you 😊

If your cactus gets very tall it will start to develop a woodier center rather than fresh green cactus flesh. I suspect windy conditions would encourage this too. You might try staking it for support, or cut it back and grow the stump and the tip.

I can also repot the cactus in a larger pot and put it in deeper.
I do not want to cut in because I want to make him tall.


can i cut off some of the aerial root and grow a second cactus out of it???

Plantng deeper may be an option for you. By the time I get sick of looking at aerial roots it's gone beyond that and I usually stake them for support or cut them back. I wouldn't think that a piece of aerial root could grow a cactus (hunch) but who knows? Go ahead and try it. If you're looking for ways to use small parts of a cactus to grow a whole new one check out Wakinyan's aureole grafts. Dude does some amazing work.

That's an interesting thought. One of those aerial roots is so large, it does kinda make you think, perhaps it has enough 'oomph' to sprout its own pup if you planted it.

Meanwhile, back in the realms of the known, those roots may mean the cactus is having a think about lying down - basically what Wolfie is saying, but from a different perspective.