Spurge plants occur in the wild in a wide variety of countries and regions of origin. As diverse as these interesting and rewarding houseplants are visually, the options for care measures such as pruning are just as varied.

Triangular Spurge can be pruned to cause it to branch

Various spurge plants do not need any pruning at all

Many spurge plants not only grow succulently, but also quite slowly and compactly. Thus, the question of pruning in the sense of size limitation in many Euphorbia species is to a certain extent unnecessary. The triangular spurge, for example, is often only pruned if branching of the stiffly upright plant is to be forced. The situation is similar with the pencil bush, which is easy to propagate and whose maximum growth height is around 2.5 m anyway.

The pruning as a last resort in diseases and care errors

Reluctance to cut should always be given up when danger is imminent and the spread of disease symptoms on a plant can no longer be contained in any other way. This is the case, for example, if rot can be seen at a certain height of the triangular spurge. Then the respective part of the plant should be cut off generously below the rotten areas as quickly as possible. Even if this sometimes causes large-scale wounds, this emergency intervention is often the only chance to save a plant that has been laboriously cultivated for years.

Pruning and handling cuttings properly

Well-kept tools such as sufficiently sharp and clean rose scissors should always be available for cutting usable cuttings. While the milky juice of the poinsettia coagulates when the cuttings are placed in warm water, Euphorbia tirucalli cuttings should first dry for about two days before being placed in a suitable substrate. If you want to use the pruning of a Euphorbia for cuttings at the same time, you should pay attention to the following factors when cutting:

  • Do not cut cuttings too short
  • pay attention to the right season
  • Cuts below the base of the leaves are better suited for root development
  • sometimes special root hormones are helpful for propagation

tips

In principle, the same applies to spurge plants as to most other plant species. A pruning should therefore take place before the strongest growth phase and not necessarily in the greatest heat.

Category:

Indoor plants