I have a pencil cactus that is about 5 years old, in a pot on a table by a window. it is doing great, maybe 4feet high, very full. I know it needs a repotting, but am afraid. the pot it is in is plastic, half the size of a basketball & the plant is HUGE. it also seems really unwieldy as a plant- how do I repot w/out breaking parts off? should I just let it go? after potting- a little more water than usual, a little less or the same? thanks for any help out there- I joined this site today specifically to ask for advice!
I repot taller cacti by laying them down to remove the pot. Don't go too large with up size better off increasing pot size gradually. Have a garden stake handy as support for the plant in it's new pot. When staking don't tie too firm, allow some movement or plant will rely on that for support. Make sure you get a good soil mix that's free draining add a little fertiliser in top inch of mix. Water as normal. If this is the Euphorbia pencil cactus then be wary of the white sap as it is poisonous and can be caustic, best off wearing gloves if you are unsure how your skin will react.
Also if yours is a Euphorbia-type pencil cactus (IE it looks like this) then you can gently reduce its bulk or unweildiness in the following manner: 1. Put on those rubber gloves! I grow these Euphorbs as part of a deterrent hedge, since they leave big red blisters on any exposed skin they touch. 2. Make sure you have a spray bottle of cool water handy. This checks the "bleeding" of the sap by congealing it faster. 3. Use very sharp shears or scissors to trim away up to 50% of the crown. It will eventually get quite bushy from the trim points, and you can be quite brutal. I know I am; I trim them to keep them off my perimeter paths.
