Re: mushy epiphyllum

N Sterman wrote:
How come the ends of my epiphyllum leaves (branches) turn brown and mushy? Others get all dried and scabby.




Nan

Mushy areas on these cacti usually indicate a bacterial or sometimes a
fungal attack and this in turn is an indication of less than perfect
health, such as that which results from root damage due to poor drainage
in the potting medium and possibly also from overwatering in cool
weather. Like most epiphytes these Cacti enjoy a moist environment, but
stagnant water around their roots depriving them of sufficient oxygen
they cannot abide.



You should I think cut back the affected stems to good clean green
tissue and if possible dust the cuts with powdered sulphur which will
help to stop reinfection. At the same time repotting in fresh medium
ought to improve root action and stop it happening again..



If the rot still persists you might consider abandoning the affected
plant and repropagating it from a piece of clean young stem.



Dry and scabby areas are not usually due to any pathogen, but indicate
some physiologic problem. They may be caused by such things as sunburn,
sudden cold, even bruisingor scratching from rough handling. They can
also occur on plants receiving a high-nitrogen fertilizer. (Adaptation
to doing with very little nitrogen in their diet is another
characteristic of epiphytes.)



Hope this is some help



Moira

--

Tony & Moira Ryan,

Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ. Pictures of our garden at:-

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm

NEW PICTURES AND DIAGRAMS ADDED 20/Feb/2005















Other Mailing lists |
Author Index |
Date Index |
Subject Index |
Thread Index