Cactus/crown of thorn plant
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Question
the plant seems to be healthy except all of the stems are bent over like they are top heavy...i don't think it should be doing that...i got it from my mother in law a year or so ago...it never did that in her house...so i'm not sure what i am doing wrong..help
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Dear patti,
There are a couple of possibilities that I can think of. 1 it is top heavy, but why wasn't it in your mother's house? 2. It's leaning toward light. Is it in a window and are you consistently turning it?
What I'd recommend you do is to prune it and repot it in good cactus soil and put it in a window. When you repot, plant the roots so the plant is standing straight up and you can plant the stems a bit deeper as well. You may have to stake it for awhile. Water sparingly until you see new growth. It does look like it's too top heavy for whatever reason and Euphorbia milli take a hard prune very well.
I'd take the cuttings and start a couple of new plants ( fter the cuttings have calloused)in case the mother plant doesn't straighten out enough. Wear gloves. Euphorbia secrete a milky substance when cut that is irritating to the skin for some folks.
This is a good time to repot as it's in it's active growth period. it looks like the soil is old as well.
Thanks,
maureen
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Maureen
Expertise
I can answer questions regarding the care and propagation of cactus and succulents and would actually group these together as folks often mistake one for the other and often their care is quite different. I also have a cold hardy cactus and succulent garden that has been quite successful. The subject in regard to classification of type is enormous and I wouldn't be able to answer all questions by any means. It is really IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE A PHOTO if at all possible and LET ME KNOW WHERE YOU ARE FROM, especially in terms of climate.
Experience
I have learned by reading books, by trial and error and by consulting with folks with much more knowledge. I have primarily grown C&S for the last 20 years.
Organizations
Cactus and Succulent Society of Massachusetts.
Education/Credentials
No formal training. See experience.
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