(There are a few other questions which may be related but I am not sure if this is a duplicate. (What is this white crust forming on my cactus during the growing months? , What is this white growth on my cactus?, Cactus with a growth). If it is a duplicate let me know and I will delete the question.)
I bought this cactus "gimmick" plant from Trader Joe's last October. I thought it was cute and I didn't expect the cactus to last. Here is it almost April and it is still alive – but it has these white growths as shown in the photo.
The growths are fuzzy and soft to the touch. I'm assuming they are not a "good thing" but should I just pull and scrap them off? Is it a fungus?
While I am here: the "medium" the cactus is planted in is some sort of hard sand-like material (like sand mixed with glue). This makes it hard to know if the plant needs water. I usually end up pouring water in and then turning the pot over to drain out any excess. Is there some better way to care for this sort of "gimmick" plant?