Crenda,

That's going to be a great mess o' plants soon, isn't it? Yes, I'd say it's inherent in a graft in a tropical place, or something like that. At any rate, yes, sharpen the knives and get the sulfur dust out.

Sure, since you're cutting anyway, remove the graft. I'd venture to guess this will grow fine on its own, both normal and cristate growths, but it would look better off the graft. Do you have a spot you could PIG it? I'd start off with a normal growth (which will eventually give off crested growth, IMO) for stability's sake. Plus, there's nothing quite like a mid-air crested growth to please the senses.

Wet it down first before cutting and have a bucket with an inch or two of water to put the cuttings in.

Questions, schmestions, we're here for you.

Initial surgery is complete. There was a bigger mess inside than first thought.

I did get to save a large piece - or so I thought. This is actually 2 "plates" growing beside each other.

However, after I thought I was finished chopping, I found this. Based on what I found on the rest of the plant, I think it would be wise to remove those split areas.

This is a good look at the biggest split I had on the plant. And you can see rot in the base near the graft.

This is the soft rotted piece next to a dry split.

And more yuck inside. This dry spot looks like the wet rotten area on one side. Maybe the 2 problems joined at the base, or maybe both were the same problem that just looked different on the outside.

Here's what the inside of one of those dry splits looks like. The other brown spots on the plant just look superficial. Only the split areas look rotted.

I have no plans to keep the graft base.

And here's what I have left - after pruning away all rotted areas. (on 6-inch tiles)

I haven't unpotted the stem/base yet. I suspect that the problems began from the graft or the base. I really wish I had removed the plant from the graft way back when I first found out that it will grow fine without grafting. Oh well . . .

Now I'll dust the cuttings and let it callous while I'm sifting a bunch of stuff for my gritty mix. I'll start these in pots so I can spot any problems. Hopefully I can PIG these in an area on the south side of my house.

Next up - I have to take a really close look at this plant!

Latinlady,

I remember your post. I too though it was a graft mark but you showed the other side without any marks. You would know.

Nice photos of correcting the rotted center. I grew some of my revisions onto become normal Euphorpia lactea plants. Nice if they grew a crest head!

Stush

Most of the cuttings are still looking pretty good. I haven't checked for roots, nor have I watered, but they are firm and looking normal.

This large cutting, however, hasn't done so well. It was propped up with some large stones, so I didn't notice the rot as soon as I should have. The rocks were hiding the rot going up the stem.

When cutting, I went above the lobe on the right. You can see the rot was going up that side.

I was able to cut down to clean tissue. So I'll give it another try in dry gritty mix. I dusted with cinnamon this time instead of the sulfur with a rooting hormone in it.

LatinLady - your plants are gorgeous. Fingers crossed for such success here!

Crenda,

It took over a year for a crest of mine to root. Keep it in pure perlite and no water at all. I did mist it maybe twice. It now has roots and growing fine. Some times it takes a long time but the plants can hold their water in. That's why their so heavy.

Stush

Thanks, Stush! I usually don't look for signs of roots because I am afraid of knocking off any that have formed, but I watch for new growth instead. I have these guys in a dry mix of granite, turface and perlite. So now patience is required!

At first I thought it must be too humid and that's why it was rotted. But since the other are just fine, I don't think that is the problem. I probably missed some of the rot on this piece.

By the way - the roots on the stem still looked healthy enough, so I guess this all started at the graft.

Hi Crenda,

From my experience with these crests, they are very tempermental about overwatering (I lost my 1st and most expensive one several years ago). The four I have growing now have not been watered since last September and won't until at least Mid-May. I recall a few years ago seeing a bench full (30-40, 20$ cuttings) from a huge plant (which now looks as though its been through the Boer War- scars everywhere- what a shame) laying on a shaded green house bench, for months, waiting for roots to emerge before they were potted in soil. When I degrafted one of mine a while back I followed the same routine. As I recall, it took 10-12 weeks for roots to appear. That was about a year ago, and it's only been watered 3 times since then. However, it has shown only minimal growth as well. I think they enjoy a much warmer, but still dry environment than I have to offer- north of Toronto.

Dan

I have 4 cuttings that I left out to callous and hopefully root before putting it in any mix. So it has been about 5 weeks. They have looked OK, no roots, but not rotting or shriveling away, either.

This one, however, has developed one of those splits! It's a little rubbery, but not mushy. So I guess I'll see what happens with this one, but I suspect that rot is in the middle of this clipping.

Well, it sure is interesting!

Well I guess this is my fault for letting this problem go on for so long. I remembered posting about one of the split areas on my plant, but I didn't realize it was a year ago!

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/3001695/should-i-worry-e-lactea-crest-has-a-split?n=6

Obviously, I did not pay enough attention to the problem when it first started. The split mentioned in the above post is the same place that became huge in this post. If I had done some surgery back then maybe I wouldn't be fighting the rot now.

These guys reside under the lanai during the summer. It is way too rainy for them to be out in the full sun. I don't water because of the heavy humidity. Around November they go out into the sun and may get watered once or twice a month, depending on the temps. I realize that is the opposite of what most folks on this forum do.

I was told to never water them once I bring them in for the winter. I do but little and maybe once a month. During summer, they are outside in the open and get lots of water. Never had a problem. I did loose some in the beginning but these I have are really tuff.

Just an update - all of the large pieces of the plant have rotted away. I guess I just didn't or couldn't get all of the problem cut out. On the up side, the smaller, and frankly more interesting, pieces are doing fine.

These plants have doubled and tripled in price since I bought the 2 I have for $4.50 each. But if I get another grafted specimen, I will remove it from the graft before it has a chance to have the graft fail. Another lesson learned!

Thanks for all the help!

Crenda,

Your plant was grafted on a different Euphorbia. Round stock, Indian Spurge Tree, Euphorbia Neriifolia. I had the same problems with them. The ones I have now are grafted on same stock, Euphorbia Lactea. Over 10 years and never had a problem. They grow just as well on their own.

Stush

I will watch for plants grafted onto the same stock. It makes great sense to do it that way! Thanks!

The crest issue aside, does the Indian Spurge grow as well as the E. Lactea? I never see E. Lactea any where. Sorry I ever got rid of mine.

Good luck with your plant(s) Crenda!

Mine grew by itself into a small tree. Sans, do you want a starter? I got a few I can send.

Picture of Indian Spurge, also gave away due to space problems.

My big E. lactea Candelabra also gave away due to space problems.

There were a couple of questions about why it was grafted at all. I just read about this in a great book I got from the library, The Timber Press Guide to Succulent Plants of the World, by Fred Dortort:

"Crests that develop high on a plant generally have little or no effect on its hardiness, though on the whole crested plants also grow slowly. In some instances, the edges of their irregular growth reach down to the surface of the soil in places, creating hollow cavities shut off from fresh air, providing ideal environments for fungi and similar pathogens. In such cases, grafting relatively high on a stock will keep the crest safely raised above the soil level." - pg. 36

I guess that's why all the crested plants I see are grafted!

Stush,

You are very kind, I would not mind having some.

Fred

Michael19, First make sense explanation I have heard. I got some growing on their own in flat pans with a gravel stone mix so air circulation should not be a problem but I can see how it would be.

Fred, No problem, I'll throw in a few stem cuttings that I had to do anyway. Keep dry and in pure pumice or perlite until you see some growth.

Stush

This is a long shot since this post is over 5 years ago my sister has this growing outside in fl and gave me two nice cuttings i found out fast that our heat and sun here in SC seem to hot and they turned yellow snd white and started to turn brown so i moved them intside and went back to green i dont think im watering to much about once a week but slowed down as people told me i was giving to much water after i posted these pictures the main plant is very top heavey as its on one steam with a big crown and that is the one that is spliting im told its grtting to much watter any help from anyone would be great im not even 100 precent sure what i have here or how to take care of it i went to bisit my sister because she had stage 4 lung and bone cancer and she gave it to me so im kind of attached to it now the pic in the box is when i 1st got it

These are the splits on the main big steam could it be from over watering? or not enough wating? am i killing ot or can i save it?

It also got these brown on the crown about the same time 😬

Rob,

These plants can take full sun but not if it's not used to it. You may have to keep it semi shaded for a month or so before exposing it to full sun all day long. What I see is advanced corking. Which means turns to wood. It happens to most euphorbia and cactus plants. If kept in bright shade it may not progress any further. It is not harmful but may not look pleasant to look at.

Euphorbia lactea doesn't require much water but during hot summer they can take in large amounts. During cooler winter months like when I have to bring mine inside I give them almost no water at all.

I have one with a hole in the base for years that don't seem to harm it in anyway.

In this very old one, the whole base turned round and hard wood.

what kind of soil is it potted in?

thanks for replying. i have it inside because every time i put it outside, even under cover it starts to turn yellow to almost white and i got scared and take it back inside and it turns green again

it was over a year ago and my 1st cactus but i remember i looked up what to use to plant it in and use like 3 differnt things potting soil, Perlite and sand i think.