Damage to Lobivia

[Mike P]

I don't grow many Lobivias but always had the idea they were fairly tough. Having fought my way to the back of the greenhouse today I was disappointed to find my nicely clumping L aurea has developed a lot of brown marks. I thought mite damage at first but it isn't as far as I can see and its affected most of the heads but on differing sides..... Cold damage?

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Any ideas?

[rodsmith]

Hard to tell. It appears at first look to be RSM damage but you would expect it to affect the whole of a head, not just a part of it. Cold damage is possible but I would expect the same side of the different heads to be affected, not different sides as you have indicated. I have grown L. aurea and L. aurea schaferi (one of my favourites) and I don't find them the easiest of lobivias to keep going. They are rot prone for me.

[Mike P]

I think this is the v schaferi. The reason I don't think it is rsm is that the damage has a definite edge to it. I think I will prise off a couple of good heads and compost the rest.

[Brian]

Compare your damage with my post on 19 April “poorly but why”.

When I de-potted there was no sign of mealy or RSM, but not much root system.

I decided to pull away the reasonable babies and bin the damaged big bits. I have had this happen before. Not sure of the reason but the babies should come good again. What ever was the matter, I think L Aurea is prone to this, yours may be the same!

[Mike]

That's odd-looking damage. I'd rule out RSM, and consider cold, but even then the damage is oddly distributed and localised. Was there any sign of internal rot when you broke up the clump?
Mike.

[Mike P]

No sign of any rot. I had trouble getting it out of the pot as it was so well rooted. Below is a cut through the main head where you can see the damage is limited to the epidermis which has parted company with the tissue below. I salvaged half a dozen of the undamaged heads and will start again.

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Unless it is very sensitive to cold I don't think it can be that as its in the better heated greenhouse and is surrounded with plants which should have been more susceptible.

[DaveW]

Might have even been sunburn in that very brief hot that spell we had as it all seems to have occurred in one direction, including the odd spots on the offsets. The plants are certainly not used to the sun yet.

[Phil_SK]

Snap!

The damage to my E. aurea ssp shaferi happened in early May 2014 when I left the greenhouse closed up on a hot sunny day. The plant had been subject to my kill-or-cure rejuvenation procedure the year before and had almost no roots and hadn't summoned up the strength to grow at the time, making it more susceptible to scorching. It was already a bit battered-looking so I've left it alone. now with roots, it grows and flowers well.

[Mike P]

Thanks both I will go with sun / heat damage. How old is your plant Phil?

[RAYWOODBRIDGE]

At least I am in good company. My L. aurea ssp.shaferi. looks just like yours Mike and has been put into the last chance saloon under the bench to see if it recovers over the summer.