Re: Euphorbia
- To:
- Subject: Re: Euphorbia
- From: M* T*
- Date: Thu, 9 Mar 2000 01:14:22 -0500
Hey Kitt, glad to hear rubra is showing it's head...hope you like her
as much as I do. Of the cutting material you sent, are 3 leafing
out:-) who have obviously rooted and are telling me it's time for
potting on - yea! and thanks!
Re: pruning...
Different species want different cutting back methods....sort of. I
do not know about 'Red Martinii' and 'Golden Canyon', whom I do not
know or grow...but for the rest....
If you don't want self seeding, cut flower heads back right after
bloom, as the seed pods are forming and before they mature. Cut them
right behind the bloom mass, leaving the stem to continue until it
decides to die back so your clump doesn't look skimpy before new
growth begins in summer.
Generally, old stems will die back and need to be removed at the base
- they will tell you when to do this. If they remain in good shape,
leave them be unless they get wayward and on your nerves. If you
head them back, they will sometimes put out new branches along the
stem and sometimes the stem will simply die on you.
Wait until the blooms are well spent, which can be mid summer because
the bracts last quite a long time after the flowers fade over -
basically just let the plants tell you when to cut them back - and
they will. If stems turn brown and foliage starts to wither at any
time of year, simply cut those back to the base of the plant or the
ground. I'd let rubra seed as they are short lived and you need some
seedlings coming on to keep them going.
I've never actually cut my 'Robbiae' back to the ground, just trimmed
off tatty top growth when bloom faded - these seem to act a bit
differently, prob. because their growth habit is different from the
others in that they will spread via underground runners or rhizomes?
where the rest are clump formers who spread by seeding around.
You prob. know to wear gloves and long sleeves when pruning euphorbs
as their milky sap can cause an itchy rash on some sensitive skins,
but a word to the wise for those who aren't aware of this.
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor: Gardening in Shade
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> From: kitt <kitt@kaboodle.com>
> Date: Wednesday, March 08, 2000 6:00 AM
>
> Many of my euphorbia are beginning their Spring show of gorgeous
> huge bloom "heads".
> Forgive my poor spelling, but some of the Euphorbs growing here are
Jade
> Dragon,
> Robbiae, Myrsinitis, Red Martinii, Rubra (Thank you Marge), Golden
Canyon,
> and Wulfenii.
> Would other Euphorbia lovers be kind enough to tell me if you prune
your
> plants
> after they bloom, and if so, how? I'm not sure whether it's best
to cut a
> few of the
> older stems back to the ground, or cut just behind all the spent
flower
> heads, or
> just leave the plants alone.
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> @. .@ kitt@kaboodle.com
> (\- -/) Scenic Calhoun Georgia USA...
> (.>__<.) .....it's not near anything
> ^^^ ^^^
> He who can laugh at himself has an endless source of amusement
>
>
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