Pruning crown of thorns before it branches?

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SamTheClam Montreal, Canada Jul 27, 2014

Last year I took a small cutting from a friend’s crown of thorns, and since then it’s grown to a height of about four inches (pictured). I’d like to encourage it to branch, which I understand is normally accomplished by cutting off the tip, where new growth is forming. As you can see, the plant hasn’t yet branched at all, so my question is whether I have to wait before cutting. In other words, if I cut it now, will it sprout new branches, or send out underground shoots, or simply die? If it’s best to wait, is there any other way to encourage branching (other than to use some kind of horomone or fertilizer, which I am not fond of doing)?

Any tips on how much to take off when I do ultimately trim it, or other advice on how to go about it?

Thank you!

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Diana_K Contra Costa County, CA(Zone 9b) Jul 27, 2014

You could try pinching just the very tip of the stem.

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tapla Bay City, MI(Zone 6a) Jul 31, 2014

If it was my plant, I'd cut it back to just above 3 healthy leaves, counting from the bottom up. Leave the cutting callus for a couple of days, then pot it in a very coarse, fast-draining mix. like this:

Al

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Baja_Costero Baja California, Mexico(Zone 11) Aug 02, 2014

You should have some idea of how the plant branches by having seen your friend's plant. If it's the branchy type then you can certainly cut off the top part and allow the plant to recover. Start the cutting in soil so that you have a backup in case something goes wrong with the original. The best time to take the cutting is a couple of days after you water. Be careful not to get the sap on your skin or in your eyes. Cuttings root and grow very quickly (within 2-3 weeks).

I personally have not had cause to prune my crown of thorns, which branch fairly freely without my intervention. They very a lot from plant to plant in how they behave, so there's no rule of thumb for all COTs. One of mine only branches at the base, the others branch and rebranch higher up.

You will see poor results in a gritty mix if you don't use fertilizer. Most Euphorbias do better with occasional light feeding (try 1/4 the recommended dose), and that includes their propensity to get bigger and to branch more. If you want a bigger, branchier plant, this is probably a more straightforward way to make it happen.

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