Euphorbia Milii, Crown of Thorns help
Hi,
I have two crown of thorns plants that are not blooming and one of them looks like something is a little off. The leaves seem to be turning a lighter color green throughout the center. I know they like more water than most other succulents so I have increased the watering the past two weeks. They get morning sun from about 9:00 to 12:00 and then I have been moving them so they get afternoon sun too. Any suggestions on how to get them to bloom or just how this particular plant looks overall. I have also read so much conflicting info on fertilizers and just recently switched to Dyna Grow Foliage Pro. Earlier in the year (May) I had added some slow release fertilizer to the soil but I prefer the water soluble so I got the Dyna Grow to try out. How much sun is too much sun for these? And is moving them around to get more sun in the afternoon a bad idea? Also the soil I use is very gritty. It is mostly perlite and Chicken grit (crushed granite) and then some top soil added in. The pot is a regular clay pot but I am wondering if I should change it out for a more shallow one? I appreciate any help!
Comments (8)
Angela (Zone 8B Texas)
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Euphorbia milii dropping leaves
Comments (7)Given lemons - make lemonade. Many people think that succulents prefer to be left to go dry before watering, but they experience drought stress just like the foliage plants we grow indoors. Somehow, since they don't tolerate wet feet well, that's come to mean they like drought conditions - not so. They prefer a very fast draining soil you can keep evenly moist but never soggy. That your plant is resprouting from the roots is a possible indication that the top has died, but not yet a certainty. If you nick the top of the plant, or poke it with a pin, and you don't get white sap, they're dead. However, that's not a big deal. I would take the opportunity to bare-root and repot into a fast soil, and enjoy the fuller plant that comes from the new shoots. I actually cut back the ones with the small white flowers ('apache'?) every time I repot. The result is a ton of stems all bearing leaf clusters and little white blooms - much more attractive (to my eye) than a leggy stalk with a few leaves at the tip and maybe a branch or two. Of course, your perspective might vary, but I just wanted you to know there are some options still open you might like to take advantage of. Withholding fertilizer is a good idea if there are no growth indicators, but if the plant is coming back from the roots, withholding nutrients isn't a good plan. Nutrients are the building blocks the plant needs to grow. I use regular applications of Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 on mine, but the Miracle-Gro liquid in the yellow quart jug (12-4-8) is a very good fertilizer choice, too. If you need any guidance insofar as soil choice, repotting, or a fertilizer program, let me know and I'll do all I can to help. Best luck. Al...See Moreeuphorbia milii leaves yellowing after repotting
Comments (1)If you watered it in after the new pot hold back on watering and let it settle in to the new pot you may have lost some younger/ finer roots during the repotting. If top and other tips starts to look wrinkled it's gotten dry enough , resume your regular watering schedule. Myself I keep them on a slightly cooler than what it has gotten use to in the old pot while waiting....See MoreEuphorbia milii from seeds
Comments (17)Hi Crenda. Your seedlings look really cute :) Unfortunately I didn't have any luck with my seeds. I am gonna try again this summer though. This time I have 5 different plants so I hope things are going to be better. The seed pods are in the middle of the flowers. They get bigger day by day until they burst out. I've noticed them on my plant last August and then the plant stopped producing them. I hope it will start again producing them again this summer....See MoreHow to graft Euphorbia milii (Crown of thorns)
Comments (6)Hi Yanleeau, You are right - there is very little information about COT grafting - I've looked, too. Here is the little bit I have found. I have found this verbiage on numerous websites, so I'm not sure who to credit: Euphorbia milii can be propagated by V-grafting. This method is often used to lower the risk of rot associated with direct rooting of cuttings. The extra skill required for grafting means this technique is more likely to be used for select cultivars by growers and serious hobbyists. A stock plant is cut at two-to-three inches above the soil line. A 3/4-inch, deep, V-shaped cut is made into the stock. A two-to-three inch stem tip (scion) is removed from the plant to be propagated, and the cut end is trimmed to form a 3/4-inch wedge, matching the V-cut in the stock. Immediately after the cut surfaces stop bleeding, insert the scion into the stock, and wrap them together securely with grafting tape. Cover the whole pot with a clear plastic bag for about two weeks. The web page at the link below has some photos, although they are small. Note that this graft is done using the V-cut technique. Also note that in the last photo, it is difficult to see, but the grower is sliding a plastic bag over the plant. (This web page also references a "video clip", but I have been unable to find it.): Tropica Nursery - Grafting The YouTube video linked below shows grafting of Euphorbia turbiniformis but it provides two important points that may also be applicable to E. milii. (Skip forward to the 5:43 mark if you want to get right to the cutting and grafting.) First, use a spray bottle with distilled water to stop the latex "bleeding" and to enable the wound to dry faster. The grower applies a water spray after every cut. Second, apply constant pressure at the graft to remove any water or latex between the two surfaces. He does it with rubber bands. So it might not be enough to just tie them together - you may have to find a way to apply pressure at the union. I'm thinking very small, light-weight rubber bands, hooked to the thorns, may be helpful (?). YouTube: Grafting of Euphorbia Are you a "serious hobbyist"? If you give it a try, please post some photos and keep us updated! Carol in Jacksonville...See MoreAngela (Zone 8B Texas)
5 years ago
rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoTry not to fertilize for a while - just a suggestion, but I am not even sure E. milii really needs it. I have red one that I received back in 2012, and it blooms all the time - this plant was never without blooms for 6 yrs. Last fall it got bit too cold before I took it inside, but blooms lasted even if they were not that beautiful :) I keep it in full sun since sunrise till sundown. Here are some buds just 2 days ago:
And flowers:I do not have any of different color and wonder if they bloom differently? - doesn't look like that from Marie Tran's photos:
Angela (Zone 8B Texas)
5 years agorina_Ontario,Canada 5a
5 years agoAngela (Zone 8B Texas)
5 years ago
Crenda 10A SW FL