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Aug 25, 2019 7:05 AM CST
Thread OP

I have a 10 year old cactus that is about 3 feet tall that has had trouble holding itself up lately. The cactus started very small so i kept it in a small pot but I think this caused the base to be thin and I'm not sure the best way to help support it as it grows taller. It has started leaning more so I usually turn it leans towards the sun and balances itself but this has gotten more difficult over time.

I tried planting it outside at one point thinking it might be too difficult to keep in a pot over time with it's size and might help it expand it's roots to hold itself up, but it turned pale and started oozing sap I'm guessing from it not being accustomed to being exposed to the full florida sun. I moved it back to it's pot afterwards but have had to tie a string around it to keep it up since.

Any tips on the best way to care for such a cactus?

Thumb of 2019-08-25/GreenGlass/acd3df
Last edited by GreenGlass Aug 25, 2019 7:07 AM Icon for preview
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Aug 25, 2019 7:36 AM CST
Name: Stefan
SE europe(balkans) (Zone 6b)
Wild Plant Hunter Plumerias Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Cactus and Succulents Sempervivums Bromeliad
Adeniums Bookworm Sedums Tropicals Fruit Growers Foliage Fan
If you want them stable...cut of each of the lower branch segments and the main part, let them dry and callous for a couple of weeks, and plant again. Just watch out for the sap, its toxic.
This EUPHORBIA lactea(not a cactus, just looks and works similar to it) habit is shrub to tree like, often with dense foliage
Judging from your reply.. you want it outside but cant plant it full time in the ground or its cold or ...? it was either cold or too hot(the latter of which can be mitigated)...
I suggest similar methods if you want it to grow outside..
Last edited by skopjecollection Aug 25, 2019 7:38 AM Icon for preview
Avatar for GreenGlass
Aug 25, 2019 8:45 AM CST
Thread OP

Skopjecollection,

It's too hot to keep outside. It seemed to react badly to getting full sun.

What do you mean to cut off the main part? Basically cut off all of the extra "branches" and just leave the "trunk"?
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Aug 25, 2019 8:48 AM CST
Name: Stefan
SE europe(balkans) (Zone 6b)
Wild Plant Hunter Plumerias Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Cactus and Succulents Sempervivums Bromeliad
Adeniums Bookworm Sedums Tropicals Fruit Growers Foliage Fan
It reacts badly to a sudden change in light. Mine got sunburnt a bit too. Pick a semi shady spot and place it there. And by cutting i meant propagate the branches and the upper branched bit of the main stem. Im guessing the stability issue is mostly due to weight distribution and damage...
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Aug 25, 2019 8:49 AM CST
Name: Stefan
SE europe(balkans) (Zone 6b)
Wild Plant Hunter Plumerias Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Cactus and Succulents Sempervivums Bromeliad
Adeniums Bookworm Sedums Tropicals Fruit Growers Foliage Fan
What you should be getting is something that looks like this
https://i.pinimg.com/originals...
and after a while into this..
https://i.pinimg.com/originals...
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Aug 25, 2019 10:36 AM CST
Moderator
Name: Baja
Baja California (Zone 11b)
Cactus and Succulents Seed Starter Xeriscape Container Gardener Hummingbirder Native Plants and Wildflowers
Garden Photography Region: Mexico Plant Identifier Forum moderator Plant Database Moderator Garden Ideas: Level 2
I don't think the plant will be stable in the future. Consider restarting it from a cutting. Avoid touching the sap if you go that route (potent irritant). This Euphorbia tends to grow weak and lanky indoors, due to insufficient light. The more light, the better in an indoor situation. Obviously you've been taking great care of your plant if you've kept it alive and looking that good for 10 years inside, there are just some inherent limitations with the plant.
Last edited by Baja_Costero Aug 25, 2019 1:58 PM Icon for preview
Avatar for GreenGlass
Aug 25, 2019 5:46 PM CST
Thread OP

Wow!I didn't realize they could get so large. Thanks for your help.
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Aug 28, 2019 10:41 AM CST
Name: Gary Simpson
Cannelton, IN (Zone 6b)
aka; smashedcactus
A temporary solution could be to put a few inches of pea gravel/pea pebble on top of top of the soil or a large rock against the trunk. I agree with Baja, eventually it may become unstable.
I have a Euphorbia that I am getting ready to replant. Might have to build a tower around this one, lol.
Thumb of 2019-08-28/simcactus/e6d905
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Aug 28, 2019 11:07 AM CST
Name: Stefan
SE europe(balkans) (Zone 6b)
Wild Plant Hunter Plumerias Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Cactus and Succulents Sempervivums Bromeliad
Adeniums Bookworm Sedums Tropicals Fruit Growers Foliage Fan
And yet another example of why im strongly against potting plants together.
90% of the time most of them die. This is the 10% when things get really impractical...
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Aug 28, 2019 12:50 PM CST
Victoria, BC (Zone 9a)
Baja mentions it being lankier due to the lack of lighter indoor, which I would agree, but....
This may be written like advice, but first it is a question.
Can this be avoided? I have not grown this Euphorbia, but my experience with this genus, is telling me the looks dense. Even though, it has lots of perlite, it appears to have compost or soil as it's base.
Plants get more wobbly because their tops have outgrown the roots. Compacted soil will cause this. Adding more coarser grit in the future. I use a blend of 80% aggregate and 20% bark with nothing else. The bark may not be needed, but I do that to increase the diversity of microbes in my grow mix. I use a size materials no smaller than 1/8th, but not larger than 1/4", but pick one size and sift for that size. In a hot dry location maybe 1/8". All the aggregate is 1/8". For bark I use a sieve that has slits 1/2" long, but only 1/8" wide.
The second part is excess nutrients. If you want to stick to a peat, coir or ground bark is fine, but leave out the compost or garden soil. Fertilise less often with more diluted solutions. And removing any excess growth from the top, when it is still green wood.
Everybody has different growing atmospheres and different watering habits. What works for me, may not work for you, but the general idea is normally the same.
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Aug 28, 2019 1:30 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Baja
Baja California (Zone 11b)
Cactus and Succulents Seed Starter Xeriscape Container Gardener Hummingbirder Native Plants and Wildflowers
Garden Photography Region: Mexico Plant Identifier Forum moderator Plant Database Moderator Garden Ideas: Level 2
I also screen my aggregate (1/10" to 1/4") and I think it's helpful to remove the fines when they appear in the source material.
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