Most importantly is the plant inside against the wall all the time? This Euphorbia Ammak is a large growing tree and needs bright sunlight to maintain itself. Soil looks to be dry but they should be in a gritter mix to increase drainage. Is the brown spots mussy or soft, and/or smells funny. It is possible that it is still okay. Needs better living conditions. Turning brown or black is sometimes part of growing this white ammak. If you must cut, Use a sharp knife and cut across where there is no rot and only good stem. Have a spray bottle of cold water to spray the white latex sap. Sap is toxic and a skin irritant and wash right after cutting it. If you get any in your eyes, wash out with tons of water then go to the hospital for treatment. Let the cut heal and dry for a few days before planting in pure grit or perlite. It takes almost a year for new roots to form. No water can be taken up till it grows new roots. Google 'cutting my euphorbia ammak' for videos and more instructions.

I have one of these that is at least 25 years old. It is so easy to root. Just break off one of smaller side branches that is 4 to 6 inches long, let the end dry a bit and stick it in a pot that has a coarse soil in it (Cactus mix works very well). Its Latin name is Euphorbia trigona. The trick with these is to water only when the pot is dry. They hate wet feet! I have seen these cut back and to my mind, they look awful afterwards. I think you might be better off starting a new plant.

I've heard alot of people who have the same problem with this plant, "I put it in the sun and it died!" I live in sun-drenched Tennessee, and have one sitting in the back yard getting at least eight hours of sun each day. It looks great, full-leafed, and deep green. See, there is a secret to getting this plant to like sun, start it small. If you take a well-rooted indoor plant and put it outside, it won't do well. It just can't make the transition easily. But, if you start a SMALL cutting and move it outside into a partly shaded area, and gradually move it into full sun, it will soon become a sun-worshiper. Remember, this plant comes from the African plains, so full sun is normal for it. It just takes some coaxing to get it to give up the comforts of central heat/air!

I've decided to transform the leaf mould bin into a compost bin sooner rather than later. Instead of emptying out all of the leaves, I've started incorporating grass clippings and kitchen/garden scraps into the bin, making sure it gets a good green/brown ratio. Over time, by turning the existing brown materials in with the new green materials, it should make good compost. The negative about this is that I won't be able to use this stuff for about two years, when I could have actually collected leaf mould in one year. The positive is that compost is more nutrient rich but can also be used the same way, as a top dressing or mulch, for water retention and weed suppression, but giving those plants a boost that leaf mould may not do. I'll work green materials in for about a year (or unless we get it so full that it absolutely can't hold any more) then setup another swimming pool composter up. On appx April 2018, the plan is to collect compost from the first bin. On appx April 2019, I'll collect compost from the 2nd bin. Then, April 2020, from the first bin, and on and on. Meanwhile, I'm slowly building up a small farm, with rabbits, cows, chickens, and eventually, ducks, possibly turkeys, etc. Rabbit poop = instant garden fertilizer + worm food, for vermicomposting, to collect worm castings for the garden, and the worms themselves could feed some fish, for a future aquaponics setup. Cow, chicken, duck, and turkey poop will be composted. As of right now, it's all about slowly moving forward, to try to obtain a balance, where everything works together.