I just moved cross country with my Euphorbias. I had pulled them from their pots and laid them in my truck. They were fine when I got here-Victoria. i potted them with cactus soil and watered them. They are full of black spots all over them now. I don't think it's a fungus as the soil was from a new bag. I read it could be stress or over watering. What should I do now? I can't cut off the black parts as it is all over the whole stems and the branches so to speak. The black spots are not mushy. They are firm. Should I pull them from the soil which is still quite damp? Let them dry out or will that stress them again? They were 20 and 25 yrs old, hence the attachment to them. :( I would welcome some experienced suggestions. Thanks
Might be sunburn as suggested in previous threads: Euphorbia Trigonia? Help | UBC Botanical Garden Forums unhappy cactus | UBC Botanical Garden Forums Help! Please identify Cactus and how to help it | UBC Botanical Garden Forums
They were loosely covered sitting on an old rug. I wrapped their roots and packed it with their soil and drizzled water twice. They were fine when we got here. They were also in my solarium forever. So I am wondering if it is sunburn as I thought they would recuperate outside since it was summer. The weather here is not like Montreal where it is hotter. Maybe the cold as it does dip low at night. I am hoping for the best right now and not watering them. They look horrible, parts are falling off. Thanks for your suggestions.
Could you cut off a piece of one of the damaged parts (one that has fallen off, perhaps)? I would like to know what the cross-section looks like, discolourations etc.
Amazingly enough the euphorbias have gained a healthy look, lost their dark black spots and seem to me like they may survive. Yipee! They may have been sun burnt even though they were use to a solarium. It's a mystery to me. Thanks for your support.
Sounds to me like it was cold damage, rather than sunburn. True sunburn would not heal over, but cold damage might. I make a point of taking cuttings of everything I can, just in case something happens to the parent plant. I'm glad to hear they are recovering, but a few cuttings are useful insurance. And by solarium, I'm assuming you mean they were under glass ? One thing to know is that glass does block a fair bit of the UV from sunlight. Not all of it, but enough so that a plant grown under glass that is then exposed to direct sunlight can burn very badly in a very short space of time. I read an article some years ago that said it takes most plants about two weeks to adapt from being indoors, or under glass, to being able to take direct sunlight outdoors, which is why indoor plants need to be placed in shade outside at first, and gradually moved into more direct light. They literally have to change the orientation of the cells that gather light energy, from a flat position to a vertical one, and that takes them time.
Thank you. You could be right. The dark black is gone. They are still not the best looking plants but they have sentimental value to me. I am not watering them right now as I read that they shouldn't be watered for at least 4-6 months after transplant. Do you know if that is true? Unfortunately my new place is quite dark also. I am doing the best i can.
I've seen some euphorbs grow in what looked like pretty dim situations and they were alive, if not the most robust looking specimens. I'd put them as close as I could to the brightest window you have available, and see how they do. If they languish, and you're able to give them some supplemental light from fixtures, I'd try that. Compact flourescent bulbs will help, if an overhead setup with tubes is not practical. As for leaving them unwatered for six months after transplant, that I've never heard. Certainly you want to give them time to adjust and you'd be watering far less during winter anyway, but if the plant is showing new growth, I'd be giving it some water at least, even if only once or twice a month. It will depend a lot on your conditions, how dry or moist your air may be... with central heating, plants can dry out much faster than you'd expect even though may not be growing much at all. I would most surely take a few of the best looking branches as cuttings, and let them dry for well for a several weeks before trying to pot them. I've seen six to 12 inch branches last months like that, no pot, no roots, no nothing, if it was a nice healthy branch when it was cut, so long as it has light. So you might be able to put off potting the cuts until spring when the light will be better. I get the sentimental attachment thing, I really do. Some of my plants are like old friends and losing one is always distressing. Sadly, it does happen, and cuttings are the best insurance against total loss of a given plant. I was away most of this summer thanks to a family emergency and despite the efforts of some pals to tide them over, I came home to quite a number of deceased or very distressed plants. Quite discouraging, but life does go on. One reason I'm fond of succulents, as they are more likely to survive such an event.
