Cold struck Euphorbia lactea

Trouble shoot problems you are having with your cactus.
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WayneByerly
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Location: In the north end of the Sequachee Valley, 65 miles north of Chattanooga Tennessee USA. Zone 7a

Cold struck Euphorbia lactea

Post by WayneByerly »

I mention in another topic that my thermostatically controlled heater was only able to keep my greenhouse temperatures above 40F if ambient temperatures were above 20F. And that this was something that I "discovered" way too late, when the temps inside the greenhouse were about 29. And Two of my Euphorbias suffered greatly because of it. One I do not think will survive. But my "Euphorbia lactea" variegated cristata only had some upper areas freeze, and that cutting them off seems to have saved it.

You can see here that some of the flesh of the cactus has clarified due to actually freezing. It remained hard for a couple of days, but then began to soften.
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There were small areas that needed to be removed indicated by the red, but there were also areas that seem to be surviving quite well. Indicated by the green
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So if I just cut off the tops, where the flesh of the cactus froze, clarified and got soft.
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Make the moral choice & always do what's right. Be a good example. Be part of the solution & make a contribution to society, or be part of the problem & end your life with nothing but regrets. Live a life you can be proud of! Zone 7a
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greenknight
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Re: Cold struck Euphorbia lactea

Post by greenknight »

You've got the right idea. With freeze damage, on any plant, you have to wait a while after it thaws out to see what the damage really is. Rot is likely to set in where the tissue has been killed, though, you need to remove it before that can spread. Just have to use your best judgement on how soon and how much to cut off. Keep a close eye on it afterward.
Spence :mrgreen:
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WayneByerly
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Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2014 10:35 pm
Location: In the north end of the Sequachee Valley, 65 miles north of Chattanooga Tennessee USA. Zone 7a

Re: Cold struck Euphorbia lactea

Post by WayneByerly »

greenknight wrote: Thu Jan 18, 2018 10:10 amJust have to use your best judgement on how soon and how much to cut off. Keep a close eye on it afterward.
Concur... Examining the worst areas daily, and palpating for softness.. although the thorns of s Euphorbia make that a tad difficult...
Make the moral choice & always do what's right. Be a good example. Be part of the solution & make a contribution to society, or be part of the problem & end your life with nothing but regrets. Live a life you can be proud of! Zone 7a
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