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Pruning Frost-Bitten Candelabra Cactus

Candelabra Cactus Frost Damage Management

A 4-foot candelabra cactus (Euphorbia lactea or similar) in Phoenix suffered frost bite; several arms are wilted and drooping. The main stem appears healthy.

Pruning Protocol

Remove dead arms. Cut back to the main trunk or to healthy tissue on the branch.
Use sterile tools. Clean knife or saw with rubbing alcohol between each cut.
Treat wounds. Apply powdered fungicide or rooting hormone (e.g., Rootone) to cut surfaces.
Allow callousing. Keep the plant dry and in bright, indirect light for a few weeks.
Resume watering cautiously. Water only when soil is completely dry.

Notes

New growth will eventually conceal pruning scars. Candelabra cacti are resilient if rot hasn't invaded the main stem. Avoid overwatering during recovery.

Cactus: Rescuing a Stress-Damaged Columnar Cactus After Relocation; Saving a Rotting Candelabra Cactus by Propagating a Healthy Arm; Diagnosing a Drooping Candelabra Cactus (Euphorbia); Black Tip Rot on a Tall Columnar Cactus; Managing a Deep Crack in a Pseudopilocereus Cactus After Shipping; Saving a 30-Year, 8-Foot Candelabra Cactus (Euphorbia) from Collapse: Propagation Protocol; Cathedral Cactus (Euphorbia) Pruning and Propagation; Fixing Etiolated Cactus: Cut, Callus, and Replant; Trimming a Tall, Thin Cactus: Etiolation Correction and Cutting Propagation; Propagating Large Night-Blooming Cereus peruviana

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