Crown of thorns is a common name for the plant species Euphorbia milii and also to standardized - looking hybrids that may or may not have this specie in their lineage , such as Euphorbia x lomi . whitish sap runs in the blotto , spiny stems of these plants that grow as arid house plant or outdoors in USDA zones 9 and warmer . overweening drought or shivering leads to partial drop of leaf .

Light Exposure

allow as much direct sun to top of thorns as possible . A minimum of eight hours of sunlight everyday year - round ensures industrial plant grow strong and with adequate leaf . sun also promotes abundant flowering . In hot summertime climates or low desert regions , partial shade in the heat of the afternoon serves these succulent shrubs well .

Soils

Tolerant of acidulent and alkalic territory types , the Francis Scott Key to pate of thorn ' success remains a fast - draining soil with some fertility . A sandy territory with incorporate compost is ideal , but a loam works well if grain and looseness are increase by adding grit and some constituent matter . For house plant , use a gritty cactus soil potting mix .

Watering Regimen

obstinate to the belief that succulent do not need water , pennant of pricker grows lush and quickly in summer ’s mellow oestrus when the tight - draining soils remain moist , never soggy . offer 1 inch of pee every one to three days when temperatures regularly remain above 80 degrees F. From fall to spring , appropriate the soil to become dry between watering — every two to three weeks , add no more than 1 inch of weewee each time . If winter temperature remain below 50 degrees , provide even less piddle .

lend oneself granular , slow - handout fertiliser only in outpouring and summertime . instead , incorporate a water - soluble plant food into a veritable spring or summer watering every month according to product label focussing .

Pruning

Prune plants with sharp hand pruners , making cuts at the desired tallness on the stem and let the sap to bleed and teetotal . Conduct pruning in other spring before new emergence begins and forefend pruning during high humidness or rainy times of the grow time of year .

Propagation

Immediately after cut stems , place them in shallow weewee , about 1 to 2 inches deep . deluge only the cut root word radical injury and leave them for about one hr . Pull from the water and allow them to dry out in a strong , well - aerated spot for about a week . The ignore wounds will be clear but concentrated with a thickened . Sink the cuttings 1 to 2 inch deep in strong , moist George Sand and property in very burnished indirect light . Keep dirt scantily dampish ; after one to three month , root will grow from the cut bases .

Hazards

With heavily thorned prow , wear gloves when working around crown of thorns plants . Also know that the milklike saphead that transude from pruning cuts or break leaves get at the skin , potentially cause a blizzard . Do not allow the sap to get into skin wounds or optic and eat no parts of the plant .

References

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