Queen of the Night problem

Discussion in 'Indoor and Greenhouse Plants' started by evie, Jul 22, 2012.

  1. evie

    evie Member

    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Edinburgh, U.K.
    My Queen of the Night, which flowered this month, has developed some blackening and shrivelling to the soft growing ends of some of it's upper leaves. I can't see anything obvious, but did notice one or two very fine threads dangling from the affected leaves. I'm afraid this might be an attack of red spider mite (but it may not be). Can anyone help me identify what might be going on, and more importantly, give me some advice on what to do about it? I really don't want to lose the whole plant, which I have raised from a leaf cutting to a 5' tall, otherwise healthy-looking plant.
    Many thanks!
     
  2. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

    Messages:
    4,776
    Likes Received:
    6
    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    Can you show us a picture? (How to attach images) "Queen of the Night" is a common name for about 10 different plants, so without seeing yours to find out which one it is, and also without seeing exactly what's going on with it, we're kind of stymied to help you.
     
  3. evie

    evie Member

    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Edinburgh, U.K.
    Hello, and thank you for your reply to my query. Attached are few pics showing the whole plant and some of the affected areas.
     

    Attached Files:

  4. mandarin

    mandarin Active Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    729
    Likes Received:
    35
    Location:
    Sweden
    That is not what cactus collectors usually mean with "Queen of the night" (Selenicereus grandiflorus), but an Epiphyllum oxypetalum. Never trust these common names, as said they are applied to many plants that have something in common. E. oxypetalum is often called "Night-blooming cereus", which is another name used for several cacti that open their flowers at night.

    The flat parts are not leaves, they are flat stems.

    Spider mites can be spotted, at least with a magnifying glass. The small, reddish type that are the most common on cacti in my experience, do not make much webbing. I grew one of these once, and I saw similar blackened areas. Sometimes I could relate it to scorch, like when it had been in contact with hot window glass or exposed to direct sun. Physical damage like bruising was another cause. Could it be something like that?
     
  5. evie

    evie Member

    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Edinburgh, U.K.
    Hello Mandarin, and thanks for the info and advice. I think it could well be scorching, as it is close to a window and it has been pretty hot lately (didn't think cacti minded!) I will move it back a bit, and hope it doesn't happen again.
    Again, thanks for your interest.
    Best wishes, Evie
     
  6. evie

    evie Member

    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Edinburgh, U.K.
    Hello again - I think I may have found the culprits, two tiny green caterpillars which have been munching away at the tips! I didn't spot them before, even though I used a magnifying glass, but there's no mistaking it now that they're bigger and their munch-holes more visible. I have kept them (not on the plant) to see what they turn into, so I know what to watch out for in future. Never seen caterpillars on cacti before - is this fairly common, do you know?
    Attached, a pic of the flowers I had earlier - my first, they were stunning! It looks to be gearing up for some more.
     

    Attached Files:

  7. mandarin

    mandarin Active Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    729
    Likes Received:
    35
    Location:
    Sweden
    I have never seen it myself. I have seen it mentioned sometimes on forums, but it is not considered as a major threat to a cactus collection. There are other, far worse pests.
     

Share This Page