Some Euphorbias are quite drought tolerant, and others prefer abundant water. Some take severe pruning, cutting away an entire shoot after it blooms; others take only light trimming. Try to identify which species you have and then check Sunset's "Western Garden Book" to see the watering requirement of yours and how to groom it.
The plant or pot might have become too hot in the recent (and now starting again) heat wave. Either the foliage lost moisture faster than the confined roots could supply it, or else the roots might have cooked.
The pot might not be draining. This can be a result of roots clogging the drain holes. (I had a potted dwarf kumquat that committed suicide by drowning that way.)
Are you sure it's not got dry spots in the pot? I'd suggest 3 things - just cut off the dead bits at the base, repot what's left and strip some of the flower heads that might have seeds on them and put them in seed raising mix to start some new ones.
***I actually found the tag buried in the dirt! It's Euphorbia charcalas 'Dwarf'' and the Western Garden Book does have a note on pruning, so thanks for the heads-up.
***It's been in the pots for maybe 3 seasons -- damn how fast they streak by...and has withstood our annual Aug/Sept heat wave, so most likely just needs pruning, but I will see if I can feel down to the roots if they are too tangled.
Oh, poor thing! No, I always carefully check that overflow comes out of the drain hole.
***Close. As I wrote David above, it's Euphorbia charalas 'Dwarf'' (aka Bruce's Dwarf Euphorbia)
***Wilco. I will also cut off some of the heavy leaning-out stems and try to start new plants from them. I've been fairly good at that in the past. I see new growth trying to establish itself.
Will also check for flower heads w/seeds.
Glad I posted the q. and got good answers; I've been nervously walking around those pots thinking I *should* do something...
***Close. As I wrote David above, it's Euphorbia charalas 'Dwarf'' (aka Bruce's Dwarf Euphorbia)
***Wilco. ______________________________ LOL. Are you always so willing to agree?
HB:I will also cut off some of the heavy leaning-out stems and try to start new plants from them. I've been fairly good at that in the past. I see new growth trying to establish itself.
Will also check for flower heads w/seeds.
Glad I posted the q. and got good answers; I've been nervously walking around those pots thinking I *should* do something...
__________________________________ I know what you mean. I've been ignoring a problem in my garden for months so I might just go and darned well do it. NOW! (or at least when I finish my ngs reading)
To prune euphorbia you need a clean cuts right above a healthy parent branch, cut off any remaining stems from the previous year in early spring. Apply a light aplication of *'organic nutrients'
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* on top of th soil. Mulch around but not on top of the plants with 3 inches of organci compost. water well until soil is completely moist in summers.
Thanks Allen, but I have a q. re: timing. Bearing in mind that this is So. Calif. coastal with a mild Mediterranean climate, do I have to wait until early spring? We hardly have any "winter" to speak of.
I'd really like to get started removing the big, sloppying-over-the- side branches, leaving room for the new growth to grow.
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