I have a new pencil cactus and it seems to be doing very well in a corner of my den with pretty good light. I would like to shape it as some leaves point down and some have curls at the end. Can you shape this tree? How?
Thank you for your reply. I do no want to cut off any leaves, I guess I didn't make myself clear. Branches are pointing both up and down. I want to make them point up. I have done that with " main " branches very sucessfully. I really want to know if branches hanging down is as it should be. Are there pictures of trees that I can study?
I have a question about my decades old pencil cactus: how do I get the main stem or some stems to thicken? I have never pruned it, altho I have made a few small plants for friends, which didn't survive.
indoor gardner, A couple of the shorter branches near the bottom of my pencil cactus (Euphorbia tirucalli)tarted to hang downward for some reason, later, they looked less healthy, less green in color, almost whitish. Maybe on their way out anyway??? Those downward facing little branches stayed that way for a long time and never straightened up on their own, even though it's gets good direct sun in a south window. They didn't have any of those small leaves on them, so I just cut them off to any point on a stem (if there was one) that was upright. Not sure of anyway to make them go up naturally, once they face down. You can find a bunch of photos of this plant on Google... gbbg, To make the stem, or stems thicker, it needs direct sun and a good watering when dry, also, a little fertilizer now and then. I don't feed in winter. They are not the fastest growers, but they will get there...
gbbg, MY cactus died a few months ago. I had given it my best but it didn't help. So I am finished with cactus.
I.m sorry you are finished with cactus. I think pencil cactus has a beautiful sculptural quality, and needs very little tending. I doubt that it's really a cactus - more like a succulent. No thorns. (I'm not very knowledgeable about nomenclature.) I'm thinking of pruning the top, but cautious. I'll try getting in touch with the Lincoln Pk. conservatory in Chicago. Good luck.
