The little gnome and decorative rocks aren't doing it for me. How can I help this Brazilian Prickly Pear (inherited from myDD). Trim?? Where? Bigger pot? I'm open to suggestions!

Heh, I'd sure lose the Garden Gnome.

Did we ever figure out exactly what it is? Besides Opuntia?

Have you had it outside all this time? If so, do you have a place to plant it in the ground?

Has it been indoors in dim light or heavily shaded outdoors, Cheryl? It looks badly etiolated. If it were mine, I'd chop it down to about 3 inches for the main pot, and then cut the top in pieces and root them if you want more plants or plants to give away. The short part will grow new pads. Here is what it should look like:
Brazilian Pricklypear (Brasiliopuntia brasiliensis)

If it goes in the ground, it will need more sun! I agree the gnome could go elsewhere!

I found the first discussion we had about this plant so we don't have to re-invent the wheel.

The thread "ID DD's Succulent please" in Plant ID forum

@DaisyL Yes, I think it is the Brazilian version of the standard Prickly Pear. It grows here like a tree.

But, oh Lord! Yes, this guy needs our help! DD had it in her apartment living room, against a wall, east exposure window near by for 2 years. Hung Christmas Lights on it. Propogated it by leaves. Obviously needs SUN! She bought it in a tiny pot and it just got bigger. Silly how they sell big things in tiny sizes. She thought it would stay tiny until she saw one in a yard nearby.

No sunny place to plant it at our house. I'm SHADYgreenthumb, remember? It's been on the driveway where the most sun is since summer and still that is just barely enough at 6-7 hrs tops. I will chop it down!!! Let's start it over!! It's almost winter. Don't most succulents like to be cut down while they are resting?

The gnome. Yeah, he's going. You see he has a shovel in his hand like a miner? Her rocks were purchased and collected from her geology digs. (She is a Geologist) The rocks are sort of cool. The gnome not so much.

@DaisyL Thanks for reposting. Nice to see it has changed over the summer. I'll chop it down replant some starts and give them away to someone I hate. LOL

Hmmmm Maybe I could trim it into a standard like this?
http://farm4.static.flickr.com...

That would be sort of neat! Why don't you try that. Trim it up to take off branches, and then trim the top to make more branches.

Okay! I can always chop it down. I will try it first.

I think that might end up really neat with some time and patience, keeping the main stem cleaned off of branches starting to sprout.

Will keep you updated on this. I don't have many succulents. (lack of sun) They are new to me. I have aloe, (which I separated babies today) Mother of Thousands, Pencil Cactus and Hawaiian Air Plant. All gifts. Now this. Someone is bound and determined to make me a Succulent Grower!

You have lots of aloe! There are a lot of other very cute little succulents, lol! Let me know if you want a care package!

I just ordered Sin Mankind seeds. Somewhere on this forum a bunch of us were looking for the succulent plant. I FOUND IT! I have been enaamoured by it from the start. I'd rather have the bulb as the seeds are unreliable. But for $2 I am going to try my hand at it. At the very least, they can stay in my greenhouse in the summer. It gets HOT in there! That is, if the seeds grow at all.

https://images-na.ssl-images-a...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EFZC7EC/

Thanks for the offer @plantmanager Karen. I really don't have much room for succulents. I dream of Hens and Chicks and lirops (sp?) But I know I don't have enough sun to do right by them. IOW if grew the Brazilian Prickly Pear on my own, I probably wouldn't do much better than DD! ha

I have some hen and chicks in partial shade and they are doing fine. Some of them really don't want or need full sun.