Knowledgebase
Brown bumps on cactus #809734
Asked September 06, 2022, 4:46 PM EDT
Berrien County Michigan
Expert Response
Is this a houseplant of something you are growing outside??
Please let me know - Thanks!!
Hi there,
I work at the Berrien County MSU Extension office. I asked this question because a customer emailed me and asked me. It isn’t my plant. I will ask the customer if it’s a houseplant being grown outside and get back with you.
Thank you,
Jamie Styburski
Berrien County MSU Extension
1737 Hillandale Road
Benton Harbor MI 49022
Ph: <personal data hidden>
Fax: <personal data hidden>
https://www.canr.msu.edu/berrien
Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, or veteran status.
Michigan State University occupies the ancestral, traditional and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabeg – Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi peoples. The university resides on land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw.
From: askextension=<personal data hidden> <askextension=<personal data hidden>> On Behalf Of Ask Extension
Sent: Wednesday, September 7, 2022 4:17 PM
To: Styburski, Jamie <<personal data hidden>>
Subject: Re: Brown bumps on cactus (#0079665)
Hi there,
I reached out to the homeowner and homeowner replied, “It’s a cactus that stays outside in summer, comes in for the winter. These nodules showed up after it bloomed this past spring. It’s slowly killing the plant.”
Thank you,
Jamie Styburski
Berrien County MSU Extension
1737 Hillandale Road
Benton Harbor MI 49022
Ph: <personal data hidden>
Fax: <personal data hidden>
https://www.canr.msu.edu/berrien
Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, or veteran status.
Michigan State University occupies the ancestral, traditional and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabeg – Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi peoples. The university resides on land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw.
From: askextension=<personal data hidden> <askextension=<personal data hidden>> On Behalf Of Ask Extension
Sent: Wednesday, September 7, 2022 4:17 PM
To: Styburski, Jamie <<personal data hidden>>
Subject: Re: Brown bumps on cactus (#0079665)
Based on what I see in this single image:
I identified this as a Schlumbergera bridgesii - a Holiday Cactus.
Cacti make excellent indoor plants because they grow very slowly and require little in the way of watering, fertilizing or pruning. These plants are generally trouble-free, more often suffering at the hands of overzealous caretakers who provide too much water, sunlight or food to plants that thrive on neglect. Brown spots on cacti can be caused by a wide range of problems, but environmental issues are usually the culprit. And is my understanding that this plant is outside in the summer
Exposure to Extreme Temperatures
Leaves develop brown dead patches whenever they have been exposed to too much sunlight. Sunburn frequently occurs when a houseplant is moved outdoors for a summer vacation. The plant will grow healthy new leaves but the dead patches on the old leaves are permanent. Both sun scald or sunburn and freeze injury may occur if your indoor cactus is exposed to wildly fluctuating temperatures. Freeze damage may occur if a cactus is touching a cold window or is very close to the output from an air conditioner. Damage may initially manifest as black areas or spots, but they will soon dry out and develop a brown coloration. Sun scald happens when cacti are placed in a window that receives direct sunlight -- the window's amplification of the solar radiation literally cooks the plant tissues. Affected areas may turn bright yellow initially, but quickly develop a light brown coloration. These conditions are not reversible, but damage is often only cosmetic. When outside, moving the plant to a shadier location will allow it to continue to grow normally.
References:
Holiday cacti - University of Minnesota Extension at this link: https://extension.umn.edu/houseplants/holiday-cacti
If the customer is saying that this is killing their cactus. I would suggest they get a confirmed diagnosis from the MSU Diagnostic Plant Lab. They need to e-mail their digital image prior to bringing or sending physical samples. Images can be sent to <personal data hidden>.
PLEASE LET YOUR CUSTOMER KNOW THIS:
MAKE SURE IN THAT E-MAIL THEY INCLUDE THEIR NAME, ADDRESS, AND PHONE NUMBER!!
The lab should be able to make a diagnosis their problem without seeing a sample. Be prepared the lab may ask them for more images - THE LAB WILL LET THEM KNOW IF A SAMPLE NEEDS TO BE SENT - There is a $20-25 fee (if the lab needs a sample sent).
Lab email: <personal data hidden>
Lab phone:<personal data hidden>
Hours of operation: Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
PLEASE READ BELOW ON PREPARING YOUR SAMPLE (if the lab needs a sample)
From the lab: Please do not ship samples on Fridays. Due to the current COVID-19 circumstances, please allow additional processing time. They thank you for your patience and understanding.
A completed submission form must accompany every sample. Please place the form in a separate resealable bag to prevent it from getting damp or soiled. The form is at this link: https://www.canr.msu.edu/pestid/uploads/files/General_Sample_Submission_Form_May2022.pdf.
Complete details of submitting a sample are at this link: https://www.canr.msu.edu/pestid/submit-samples/
Hope this helps!!
