Sunburnt variegated loph, need help!

[Hukstable]

Hey guys, need your help. I think I may have burnt this loph. Got it about 3 months ago. Been on a window sill with about a half hour of direct sun at about 4. Thought that half of direct sunlight wouldn't be an issue. It has been suggested I dust with sulphur and graft. What are your thoughts? I've included a photo of it when I first got as reference.

Thanks

[Evil Genius]

Yes, sunburnt. The variegation makes it kinda hard to see how severe the burn is. Grafting would be an option but I wouldn´t rule it out that the plant can survive and heal the damage. Lophs usually like sunlight a lot and it may have to do with the variegation that it´s just not used to it yet.

[Hukstable]

Thanks EG. Would you suggest I just dust with sulphur or fungicide and leave it for a while?

[coolname]

Hukstable you only really need to use sulfur or a fungicide if you are cutting the cactus or if there is rot. i would leave it for now and see what happens

[Evil Genius]

If applied and dosed correctly, Sulfur shouldnt have any side effetcs or risks. But I agree I would probably just leave it as it is now, not cut and see how it goes. It´s possible the wounds can cause an infection but so far, I think it has a good chance to heal this naturally. Smaller sun burns are not a problem for larger plants.

[Sallubrious]

This is probably in total contravention to what most people do, but I dust my Lophs mainly as a sunscreen.

If I find a one with scale, I clean it off with water and a toothbrush and dust the crap out of it with tomato dust while it's still wet. Sometimes I've had to be quite aggressive to clean all the scale off, and that can remove the protective waxy coating they have. So I use the dust as a sunscreen. I literally cake it on and it just falls of over a week or so - this for outside plants open to the wind.

By the time most of the dust is gone, the waxy coating has regenerated enough to protect the plant again, so I just hose them clean. It's worked fine for me.

Edited July 31, 2015 by Sally

[nrivers]

Spewing! Hope she comes good for you mate.

[Hukstable]

Yes gutted man!! Must be very sensitive to light. I'll leave it for now. See what happens. It's been very cold the last few weeks which I'm sure isn't helping. Any body else who bought these be careful about exposing them to light!

[franky]

I think i got a similar cutting, showing the exact same symptoms, best of luck to you!

[Hukstable]

Bugger frankly! What growing condotions did you have it in?

[theuserformallyknownasd00d]

As is mine lol and it hasn't seed direct sun! Was getting filtered light through a greenhouse and under a shelf, not as bad as yours but bad enough for it to come in under cfl

[pinegapcontrol]

glad to know im not the only one thats had issues. very sensitive plants, i dont think its due to the variegation, i think its due to the growing conditions they came out of.

i really should have quizzed the seller more about the growing conditions.

[Hukstable]

Sellers growing conditions were greenhouse with 60% shade cloth. Even a very small amount of light has caused this to mine. Where have you had yours micoz? Anyone grafted there's yet? Maybe the best idea is to get it grafted asap. Maybe the seller can give us some ideas on what to do? Thanks

Edited August 1, 2015 by Hukstable

[pinegapcontrol]

mine have been getting a decent whack of winter sun, kept completely dry, not in the greenhouse but fully undercover, shaded by a few other cacti. my buttons are in a spot where they get morning and avo sun in summer and full sun (pretty much) during winter. the damage is nowhere near as bad as yours but mine are a bit bigger. Ive just left them in the same spot, i figure once theyve been burnt they wont get burnt again.

I do make an effort to harden my guys to full sun and outdoor, ie not in a greenhouse.

once they are hardened they will tolerate being outdoors, survive hail.

If i was on the ball i would put all my buttons into the full sun and rain for 9 months of the year and bring them in for 3 months in winter.

I used to do this when my collection was smaller.

^^ **edit** - fresh cuttings and young seedlings are obviously a different story.

I think yes once theyve gotten themselves established i will take the knife to them.

Edited August 1, 2015 by micoz

[Hukstable]

Ok guys just a bit of an update on mine. I decided just to leave it but it's looking very sad now. Not sure what to do. Try to graft now or when the weather is a bit warmer? Or just leave it alone? Thanks in advance.

[zelly]

lophs arent known to be quick growers, how about putting it in a warm location that has good filtered sunlight and leave the damn thing alone? the plant will be just fine if you allow it to grow on its own speed and schedule & not one dictated by you or anyone else. shade cloth and or uv filtered sunlight is an absolute must

& forget about grafting it to force growth unless you're hell bent on killing it as quickly as you can

see that tiny bit of green in the middle of the plant? that portion is healthy and growing.......at its own speed.....all you have to do is provide a suitable growing environment AND grow some patience yourself...........get back to us no sooner than 6 months with an update

[Hukstable]

Hi Zelly, I have no experience growing lophs and none with variegated plants. It has gotten much worse from when i first posted which is why i was trying to get some more advice. I have left it alone and has been in the conditions you suggested above.

I wasnt planning on grafting to force growth, it was suggested to me that it might help save the plant.

Sounds like your a bit annoyed! Apologies if my post pissed you off!

Thanks

H

[zelly]

Sounds like your a bit annoyed! Apologies if my post pissed you off!

Nah, no worries mate, i just unintentionally come across as an angry old fart most of the time....

plants are like so second nature to me that i struggle to understand that they're not second nature to everyone else.

Just in general, growing cacti is like raising kids, and mother nature has a game plan / time frame for each.

Suppose you & your significant other had a brand new baby; surely you'd make sure your baby was well protected from the sun and whatever else mother nature could throw at it until the baby matured & acclimated a bit, no?

In general, I think once a person makes the leap and embraces all plants as sentient, then doors and windows start opening and greater understanding of their care and needs comes into play. Put yourself in their place and consider the world around you from their perspective. Just in doing that, a person can gain much greater insights without the need for 'experience'.

[Hukstable]

Thanks for your insights Zelly, I am new to cacti but am reading and learning lots. Hopefully the growing of these plants will also teach me about what they want. Cheers