@@Idplantthat so this is my devil's backbone. Roots comi...
@Idplantthat so this is my devil's backbone. Roots coming out of the bottom of the pot. Should I repot her? She's also dropping leaves. My neighbor said that when the plant decides it's winter time they drop all their leaves? Its August. 🤷♀️ I'm watering every 2 weeks. I check before I water and she is always dry as the desert.
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Hmm, I don’t know why they’d be dropping in August, but it could be something environmental or something else. Could you add a few photos of the plant? If I remember right, your neighbor was the one who gave it to you? From what I can see, your roots are incredibly white, so that’s a great sign of hydration and health 😉 but before I say repot, let’s see the plant to make sure we don’t need to switch out the soil or anything else. If you don’t mind 😉😁
🚫 Why You Should NOT Repot Right Now
The Risk: Repotting a plant that has just shed all its leaves will cause severe shock to an already weakened root system.
The Status: Because the base of the stems remains thick, green, and firm, the plant is still alive. It is currently in a defensive, dormant state.
The Strategy: Leave the plant in its current pot for now. We need to focus on stabilizing the roots first before changing its environment.
❓ Why Did It Lose All of Its Leaves?
Root Suffocation: The primary cause is overwatering combined with heavy, moisture-retaining soil. When the soil stays continuously damp, the roots cannot breathe. They stop absorbing nutrients and signal the plant to drop its foliage.
The Good News: Euphorbia tithymaloides is incredibly resilient. It naturally sheds leaves when stressed but is fully capable of making a major comeback once its soil dries out and it receives proper lighting.
🚨 Immediate 3-Step Recovery Action
Stop Watering Entirely: Do not add any water right now. Allow the soil to dry out completely all the way to the very bottom of the pot. Because there are no leaves to consume moisture, the soil will take much longer to dry out.
Maximize Light Exposure: Move the bare stems directly into the brightest spot available—either right next to a sunny window or directly under a strong grow light. Intense light is the main trigger that tells the stems to wake up and push out new leaf buds.
Wait for New Growth Before Repotting: Watch the green stalks closely over the next few weeks. Once you see tiny new green leaves successfully sprouting along the stems, it means the roots have recovered. That is the safe time to repot it into a fast-draining cactus and succulent soil mix.
The Risk: Repotting a plant that has just shed all its leaves will cause severe shock to an already weakened root system.
The Status: Because the base of the stems remains thick, green, and firm, the plant is still alive. It is currently in a defensive, dormant state.
The Strategy: Leave the plant in its current pot for now. We need to focus on stabilizing the roots first before changing its environment.
❓ Why Did It Lose All of Its Leaves?
Root Suffocation: The primary cause is overwatering combined with heavy, moisture-retaining soil. When the soil stays continuously damp, the roots cannot breathe. They stop absorbing nutrients and signal the plant to drop its foliage.
The Good News: Euphorbia tithymaloides is incredibly resilient. It naturally sheds leaves when stressed but is fully capable of making a major comeback once its soil dries out and it receives proper lighting.
🚨 Immediate 3-Step Recovery Action
Stop Watering Entirely: Do not add any water right now. Allow the soil to dry out completely all the way to the very bottom of the pot. Because there are no leaves to consume moisture, the soil will take much longer to dry out.
Maximize Light Exposure: Move the bare stems directly into the brightest spot available—either right next to a sunny window or directly under a strong grow light. Intense light is the main trigger that tells the stems to wake up and push out new leaf buds.
Wait for New Growth Before Repotting: Watch the green stalks closely over the next few weeks. Once you see tiny new green leaves successfully sprouting along the stems, it means the roots have recovered. That is the safe time to repot it into a fast-draining cactus and succulent soil mix.
@planthoe40 it’s not uncommon for backbone leaves to be super sensitive to any kind of a move, so they’ll be dramatic and drop everything, but they bounce back. So I’d focus on root health; the dead leaves in the container just pull out and put in the trash just so we don’t get any type of fungus build-up. How is your air circulation? Are you using a chunky soil mix or what’s going on that way? I’ll send you some of my mix I make with the backbone, and you can try it and see what you think 🤔
I use succulent soil for all my plants. That's about the only constant with my soil tho 🤣 the rest of the additives change. Right now I have 3 bags of charcoal, 3 bags of better grow special orchid bark and 3 bags of perlite in there. @Idplantthat
I couldn't put him outside yesterday bc apparently NC is identifying as Seattle right now. This was the only option I had. It will allow her to keep growing. I'm going to have to wait until Friday night to repot her. @Idplantthat
@planthoe40 you can definitely add a little of everything else you have, and that will boost the air flow to the roots. I honestly think it looks happy and lovely in your plant paradise! But definitely think about adding a little more charcoal, perlite, and orchid bark—all good options for good drainage. 🥰
@planthoe40 I don’t see why you couldn’t. They like airy roots in general. You just want to watch the watering and adjust it to the new set up. 🔝 Just keep in mind that transferring can result in leaves falling off. 😉 Which is totally normal.