What is going on what this Dyckia?

[Palmfarmer]

It has these spots all over. Is this sunburn or what? 

 

[Rivera]

Not sure, but maybe slug damage? I've seen slugs/snails go to town on young Dyckia platyphylla.

[Silas_Sancona]

Tough call, but, relying on personal experience, this could be some sort of fungal issue..  My D. rariflora colony has had similar ugliness pop up from time to time in the past.

While sun damage would look similar, you'd see more of it, spread across more of the flatter, sun - facing surface of the plant if it was sun burn ..which is hard to achieve this time of year as- is..

As long as it doesn't spread, i wouldn't worry too much about it ..though, depending on how often you're watering, esp. this time of year, ..maybe cut back.  Majority of Dyckia are tough as nails and can go w/ out water much longer than some realize.. Even during our " hell fire " summer,  all mine are lucky if they get soaked once every 10 days..  No extra water this time of the year.

Soil is important too ..Other than a couple dashes of Cocopeat, a handful of leaves,  no organics in the soil mix for any of my plants ..Is predominantly inorganics / Mineral ( 95% ) Found that soil mixes that leaned heavy in the " easily decomposes " organics department lead to rot issues, esp. during the cooler months.

While they do need moisture, they hate soil that stays too wet, esp. during the cooler months. All are outside / experience whatever the weather throws at them.  Trow a little K and Azomite at them every couple years. Beyond that, they pull whatever nutrients they need from various components in their soil mix.      Just my experiences.    Need to add a couple more this year.

Dyckia ..YTBD  My " Spiny Beast " AKA: PitBull 🙃



Dyckia rariflora colony..



Growing in just the Mineral stuff..




Pup that broke away from the colony i plopped in with the Boswellia sacra  in the background..  " Dirt " is  Sand , and Turface MVP.  Outside, fully exposed to the heat,  ...n' occasional chilly stuff.   No- worries-.



Dyckia choristaminea,  Just about ready to bust out of it's pot and take over the world... ( Going into a wider container, like rariflora, this year.. Maybe it will start flowering again afterwards, lol )

...Also grown in " Grit " 

[Palmfarmer]

5 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Tough call, but, relying on personal experience, this could be some sort of fungal issue..  My D. rariflora colony has had similar ugliness pop up from time to time in the past.

While sun damage would look similar, you'd see more of it, spread across more of the flatter, sun - facing surface of the plant if it was sun burn ..which is hard to achieve this time of year as- is..

As long as it doesn't spread, i wouldn't worry too much about it ..though, depending on how often you're watering, esp. this time of year, ..maybe cut back.  Majority of Dyckia are tough as nails and can go w/ out water much longer than some realize.. Even during our " hell fire " summer,  all mine are lucky if they get soaked once every 10 days..  No extra water this time of the year.

Soil is important too ..Other than a couple dashes of Cocopeat, a handful of leaves,  no organics in the soil mix for any of my plants ..Is predominantly inorganics / Mineral ( 95% ) Found that soil mixes that leaned heavy in the " easily decomposes " organics department lead to rot issues, esp. during the cooler months.

While they do need moisture, they hate soil that stays too wet, esp. during the cooler months. All are outside / experience whatever the weather throws at them.  Trow a little K and Azomite at them every couple years. Beyond that, they pull whatever nutrients they need from various components in their soil mix.      Just my experiences.    Need to add a couple more this year.

Dyckia ..YTBD  My " Spiny Beast " AKA: PitBull 🙃



Dyckia rariflora colony..



Growing in just the Mineral stuff..




Pup that broke away from the colony i plopped in with the Boswellia sacra  in the background..  " Dirt " is  Sand , and Turface MVP.  Outside, fully exposed to the heat,  ...n' occasional chilly stuff.   No- worries-.



Dyckia choristaminea,  Just about ready to bust out of it's pot and take over the world... ( Going into a wider container, like rariflora, this year.. Maybe it will start flowering again afterwards, lol )

...Also grown in " Grit " 

Nice collection. I am starting to think it is sun damage since I used to keep it in a lot more shade. 2 months ago I put It under a palm tree In a more exposed area. My blue dyckias are fine

[Paradise Found]

On 1/18/2024 at 3:40 PM, Palmfarmer said:

Nice collection. I am starting to think it is sun damage since I used to keep it in a lot more shade. 2 months ago I put It under a palm tree In a more exposed area. My blue dyckias are fine

did it also rain  Then sun hit it?  

Edited January 22, 2024 by Paradise Found

[Palmfarmer]

On 1/21/2024 at 7:06 PM, Paradise Found said:

 

I can’t exactly remember. I moved them to a shadier location for now and the green on looks better. 

one of the Blue ones look a bit rough now though. As you see in the photo I posted earlier the dyckia “Leafs” seems to bend a lot while the other blue dyckia they go straight out..the ones with bent leafs did get uprooted by a dog playing with it and it has very little roots so that might be why or Maybe I am overwatering? Cold damage? 
 

I saturate the soil completely once per week using a mix of Sand, Coco, perlite, pumice and bio char. 

[Paradise Found]

Watering once a week is to much in winter.   They like to be on the dry side when not in active growing.

Good news is once it starts warming up in spring it will put on a new flush of leave. 

Edited January 29, 2024 by Paradise Found

[Silas_Sancona]

On 1/29/2024 at 9:11 AM, Paradise Found said:

Watering once a week is to much in winter.   They like to be on the dry side when not in active growing.

Good news is once it starts warming up in spring it will put on a new flush of leave. 

Yep,  as mentioned.. mine get no ...Emphasize that  ...NO...   extra  water,  besides any that might fall when it rains,   November - March   unless it has been dry  ...the ENTIRE  time-..  None, Zilch, Zero, Nada..

Weekly watering, esp. if grown in less than ideal soil / lighting exposure this time of year  = enthusiastically waving the welcome sign for trouble. ... Just don't do it. 

Unless tiny seedlings, The plants will be fine.  Less babying,  more understanding of the plants needs.

[Palmfarmer]

On 1/30/2024 at 2:15 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

Yep,  as mentioned.. mine get no ...Emphasize that  ...NO...   extra  water,  besides any that might fall when it rains,   November - March   unless it has been dry  ...the ENTIRE  time-..  None, Zilch, Zero, Nada..

Weekly watering, esp. if grown in less than ideal soil / lighting exposure this time of year  = enthusiastically waving the welcome sign for trouble. ... Just don't do it. 

Unless tiny seedlings, The plants will be fine.  Less babying,  more understanding of the plants needs.

Thanks. I put them in mostly shade watered and they deteriorated even more. 
 

I will make nature do the watering for the most part from Now on. I am just wondering if I should put them in the most amount of sun possible? One has very little roots on it should that one be in partial shade until more roots have developed? 

[Silas_Sancona]

58 minutes ago, Palmfarmer said:

Thanks. I put them in mostly shade watered and they deteriorated even more. 
 

I will make nature do the watering for the most part from Now on. I am just wondering if I should put them in the most amount of sun possible? One has very little roots on it should that one be in partial shade until more roots have developed? 

I'd place them in bright shade ...Say under a porch on the east or north side of a house, or under a tree that provides shifting shade through the day.   On the one that is stressed the most,  you could dab a couple of the newest emerging leaves w/ a marker ( ..Like you would mark the emerging spear(s) on a stressed palm, to track how it is doing ) them watch how quickly ...or not... they continue to grow.  Some Dyckia are somewhat slow, but should be moving if rooted and growing.

[Silas_Sancona]

2 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

I'd place them in bright shade ...Say under a porch on the east or north side of a house, or under a tree that provides shifting shade through the day.   On the one that is stressed the most,  you could dab a couple of the newest emerging leaves w/ a marker ( ..Like you would mark the emerging spear(s) on a stressed palm, to track how it is doing ) them watch how quickly ...or not... they continue to grow.  Some Dyckia are somewhat slow, but should be moving if rooted and growing.

I should add.. if possible, you might try to whittle down what species / crosses they are since some can be more sensitive to cold and wet conditions this time of year compared to others.
 

[Palmfarmer]

On 2/6/2024 at 5:41 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

I'd place them in bright shade ...Say under a porch on the east or north side of a house, or under a tree that provides shifting shade through the day.   On the one that is stressed the most,  you could dab a couple of the newest emerging leaves w/ a marker ( ..Like you would mark the emerging spear(s) on a stressed palm, to track how it is doing ) them watch how quickly ...or not... they continue to grow.  Some Dyckia are somewhat slow, but should be moving if rooted and growing.

I put the healthiest ones in an east facing spot in my garden now and I put the sick one without much roots in a more shady position under my outdoor overhang. They are in mostly rocky material. Similar to cactus soil, but it retains moisture better.