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Cacti & Succulents

Pencil Cactus (Euphorbia Tirucalli) - Help with repotting

14 years ago

How do I know when I need to re-pot my Pencil Cactus (Euphorbia Tirucalli)? It seems to be doing okay but it is not growing all that much. Maybe that is normal? It is in the 6in pot that it came in and it just seems like maybe it should be re-potted. It is about 20in tall. It is an inside plant that sits near a very sunny warm California window.

When I do re-pot what kind of soil do I need and is there anything special that I need to know?

What about trimming? When/how do I need to trim?

I love this plant and don't want to hurt it. Any advise is greatly appreciated!!

Thank you!

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Comments (7)

paracelsus
14 years ago
First, you need to know that this plant (and all other Euphorbias) has a very toxic sap that is a powerful skin and eye irritant. If it gets in your eye (e.g. brushing face with back of hand), it can cause temporary blindness. Be careful never to get sap in your eyes, or leave it on your skin. E. tirucalli has a particularly bad reputation for toxic sap, so be careful! Cut at branch nodes. Staunch the flow of sap with lukewarm water.

Repot into an 8-inch container using Cactus and Succulent soil (or regular potting soil) mixed 1:1 with perlite, gravel, or pumice. The idea is to make a free-draining mix low in organics, but with more than 50% inorganic particles in the 1/8 to 3/8-inch range. This plant wants as much sun as you can give it. Growth will be much slower indoors. Allow the pot to completely dry before watering. Fertilize 3-4 times a year with any balanced fertilizer at 1/4 the normal strength.

Happy growing!
cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
14 years ago
Nicole,

Brad hit it spot on, as is his wont. The only thing I would add is that this process is much safer with two people, one standing by with a hose staunching the cuts and one doing the cutting. Perhaps your plant isn't big enough to need two, but it's probably better to have some help the first time. As someone who has benefited from Help with Tirucalli (let me tell you about the 6' that my friend and I did one full moon evening...), I thought I'd throw that out for consideration, because Brad has covered the information. This is one of the easier Euphorbias to grow - you could collect all 300 (there are probably more) if you really like them.

Brad,

Can that be used as an FAQ, please? It sure would be helpful. It would also cover most plants, too, wouldn't it?
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Ian - Indeed that is wet haydite. I should snap a pic of it dry for comparison. I find it quite attractive in my mix and have used it for top-dressing on a couple of "dressed up" plants that I know have sharp draining soil below. I used to use Turface, which is also an excellent grit, just not as attractive. NY - Trying to ship 40lb sacks might get expensive. I suggest that you let your fingers do the walking! Start with your local parks and recreation dept. Get a number for the dept. that maintains the ballfields. Where you find baseball, you will find turface or haydite. Also, haydite has a website that will assist you in finding the closest retail dealer. Here's a couple of addys to read up on it. www.haydite.com www.youkoubonsai.com/haydite.htm SnB gave you the reason why these type products are so desirable in soil mixes: "this type of top dressing tends to suck up the water more than straight grit. This may make it easier to see when there is still moisture in the soil, which can be handy with winter growers. It will also make the soil dry out faster since there will be continual evaporation from the surface instead of it drying out and trapping moisture." And what it does as top dressing it does throughout the soil when used in your mix. It's smooth and uniform, allowing for quick drainage but holds a tad of moisture for the plant to draw on. It dries quickly and is very is to "read", though as Ian pointed out, it is not 'the soil' that needs water but 'the plant'. HTH - Jo
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The water requirements of any indoor cactus is determined the amount of sun light it gets,which you did not mention. Cactus receiving 5,000 foot candles, the measure of light, which is about 1 foot from a south facing window, should be watered every 3-4 weeks. Greater intervals with less light but at least once every 2 months. To adequately moisten/wet the soil in the pot, place the pot in a container with enough water to just cover the pot, allow time for the soil to absorb all the water it can hold, remove from the water and allow to drain. What is most important is the that the soil reach it's maximum water holding capacity.
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nicoleclinton
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks guys. I will be replanting tomorrow.

Brad, feel free to use this as an FAQ if you would like.

Is trimming necessary for growth and/or a pretty appearance, or it is most for shape and/or space limitations?
cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
14 years ago
Nicole,

No, it's not necessary for growth, but probably yes for your other questions. Mostly it's aesthetics.
hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
14 years ago
It would put on some size if you let it spend at least the summer outside where it can get more sun.
plant_junkie
14 years ago
I have a E. tirucalli and am going to take cuttings. There was something in the post that i dont understand. It was mentioned to "staunch" the wound. What does this mean?
PJ
cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
14 years ago
You create a wound when you take cuttings, bot at the cutting's end and where the cutting was taken from. Both of these will leak latex, hence one's wish to staunch the flow.

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