Pencil Cactus\Succlent

15 years ago

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Just wanted to share a little something with everyone.This is my baby!!My wife wants me to prune back this pencil cactus\succlent because it is getting to big, but I told her no way!

Have a good day!

Rigo

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Comments (4)

jfike
15 years ago
Those succulents will get pretty big, especially if planted in the ground. I have one that's around 15' tall and still growing.

Be careful if you trim it. The white "sap" is a very strong irritant -- don't get it in your eyes. I remember rubbing my eyes one time after I had washed my hands, but I guess there was still some present -- my eyes burned for several hours.
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rigo74
Original Author
15 years ago
Hey jfike -You dont say 15'!That is really big.Thanks for the heads up on the sap.This pencil cactus\succlent was given to me by a local nusrey that was closing down after many years of business.It was a very large tree growing in one corner of their greenhouses.So I really cherish this cactus\succlent as I had been going to this nusery with my dad when I was a child.

Rigo
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hello all, I have/had a larger strawberry pot full of burros tail until this last winter, it did survive but no blooms this year. Major winter prune job! I also have a smaller strw pot that is filled with sedum (jellybean it think?). If you decide to do it, use the pvc pipe and also place pieces of chicken wire or something similar over the holes from the inside of the pot. Do this as you are filling the main chamber with soil. This will keep the soil in place when you water. By holes, I mean the balcony like holes on the side of the pot where you will be planting, not the drainage hole at the bottom. Though that should be screened too to keep in the soil. good luck, -Ethan
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Mine has been in the ground a few years. They were selling little starter plants called firesticks that had red to yellow top growth at Walmart. These are just a color variant of pencil cactus. Mine would be as tall as the house, but I prune it way back on occasion. The main trunk is very woody at this point, but the limbs are fragile. I think a lot of times we are told that plants should not go in the ground. Many plants like dry roots, and will not tolerate too much moisture in the soil. I do believe that most florida soil (read sand)drains better than any potting mix. Because of this I do not fear putting plants that many parts of the country can't grow in the ground. Even my desert roses do very well in the ground. Just don't plant in a low lying area that is prone to flooding. The pencil cactus should be a plant it and forget it plant, very easy to care for. It is a euphorbia, so more likely the latex is toxic, not an allergan, but I would not worry about it, just don't get it in your eyes or mouth. Bill
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I’d love to find out what happened to your cactus. I bought one in the summer and within a month it started dropping pencils. I thought I was water it too much, so I cut back to every three weeks and added a grow ligh. Then it started throwing off an alarming amount of pencilS. I took it to the store I bought it from and they exposed the roots. It only had a couple leading me to believe it what a cutting that wasn’t rooted enough. They told me to keep it in water to grow roots, that did nothing. Finally after a month and a half I planted it in well draining soil and within two weeks the plant turned grey and died. The owner of the store felt so bad she gave me a huge one of her own to replace it. The only problem is she used normal soil from a company called “Good Dirt.” It’s mostly peat. I feel like I should repot it in Al’s gritty mix that I made, but I’m gun shy after losing the first one. Please note the giant rocks are only a temporary solution. The plant is so top heavy and the soil is so light I’ll be fixing that problem when I repot.
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No, it doesn't bloom. I have lots of cuttings from it, because every winter when I cover it, small pieces fall off, and you can grow an entirely new plant from just one little "leaf." I had two pieces growing out in the front garden, but they were in a bad place, so I took them out, cut them into smaller pieces and have them rooting now. I'd always wanted a big one, but it's just too cold here, so I'll probably keep a smaller one that I can take in and out in the winter and let someone else have this one.
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User
15 years ago
He's not kidding abt the sap, you really should wear goggles & gloves while pruning & handling this plant (& many other Euphorbias).

They are known skin irritants, & handlers are always cautioned not to touch their face or mucous membranes before washing VERY well (hence the recommendation for goggles & gloves).
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rigo74
Original Author
15 years ago
pirate girl- Thanks for the advise and should I decide to prune this or any of my other Euphorbias I will have my goggles and gloves ready.

Rigo
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Pencil Cactus\Succlent

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Pencil Cactus\Succlent

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jfike

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