- How fast does an elephant tree actually grow?
- What should I consider when sawing off?
- Does the sawn-off elephant foot need special care?
In nature, the elephant's foot, which originates from the area of Mexico, grows up to nine meters high. Of course, it doesn't reach this size in a living room, but it can still be too big for the window sill.
An elephant's foot can also tolerate a radical cut
If your elephant's foot is actually getting too big, then you can actually top the tree and prune it to whatever size is comfortable for you. However, before you pick up the saw, you should consider that it will take some time for the elephant's foot to grow back to a similar size.
How fast does an elephant tree actually grow?
The elephant's foot is one of the very slow-growing indoor plants. It grows about one and a half to two meters tall. However, this takes about 20 years. This also explains why an elephant's foot about 50 to 60 centimeters tall is significantly more expensive than a mini plant.
What should I consider when sawing off?
If you saw off your elephant's foot, several (usually two to three) new shoots will usually form at the cutting point. To prevent germs from penetrating through the possibly quite large cutting or sawing surface, you should definitely use well-cleaned and sharpened tools and close the wound.
Does the sawn-off elephant foot need special care?
Depending on how much you have trimmed your elephant's foot, the water and nutrient requirements of the plant can change significantly. Moisture is evaporated through the leaves. The fewer leaves there are after the cut, the less water the elephant foot now needs. It also stores water and nutrients in its thick trunk.
Therefore, be sure to limit watering and fertilizing after cutting off the elephant's foot. If you don't do this, there is a risk of waterlogging, in the worst case with softening of the trunk and root rot.
The essentials in brief:
- capping allowed
- clean and sharp saw used
- close big wounds
- water less for the time being and do not fertilize
tips
If you want to do something good for your freshly shortened elephant's foot, then definitely limit the watering and fertilizing.