Pachy sukkulentum: How / when / where / if to cut?!

[nachtkrabb]

Hi everybody,

since ten years now (to be exact: since Nov. 26th 2008 -- incredible...) I have a Pachypodium sukkulentum. As you can see in the photos, it has long, thin arms all pointing down and reaching the ground. After having lost all its leaves in Decembre, it now starts to regrow new leaves. Of course I had observed the Pachypodium-rule No.1 "no leaves -- no water". I will water it today a tiny bit for the first time again.
I was hoping for some flowers as it had flowered for many years on a regular basis, but it doesn't look like buds: They usually grew before the leaves.
Maybe our new windows isolate to well.

Well, look at the twigs. They grow very long and thin. And the plant doesn't flower.
Should I cut the twigs? If so: When? How far? Where?

Thank you very much.
Nachtkrabb

DSCN9766-248-PachypodiumSukkulentum-x.JPG (107.57 KiB) Viewed 2922 times

DSCN9768-248-PachypodiumSukkulentum-x.JPG (119.68 KiB) Viewed 2922 times

If somebody is interested: There is a Portulaca umbraticola in the same pot in the background.

[nachtkrabb]

Does really nobody have any idea....?!

N.

[mmcavall]

Sorry, I have wrote something and thought I had sent it... apparently not...
I have the same kind of doubts with my Pachys. This year I trimmed the saundersii.
As for my succulentum I remember asking here and don't remember what I did next... I will try to find the thread and post here.
As for the plant in the photo, yes I would cut it, leaving only the two secondary branches. This is much more an intuitive choice than a technical one.

[nachtkrabb]

Thank you mmcavall. I am looking forward to your link.

Unfortunately, by now the plant is growing leaves -- of course at the ends of the twigs. So I expect I have to wait until the next winter... Or what do you think? I would feel like trying to murder the plant when cutting away all the new leaves.

N.

[mmcavall]

Thank you mmcavall. I am looking forward to your link.

Unfortunately, by now the plant is growing leaves -- of course at the ends of the twigs. So I expect I have to wait until the next winter... Or what do you think? I would feel like trying to murder the plant when cutting away all the new leaves.

N.

That's the link:
https://cactiguide.com/forum/viewtopic. ... achypodium

I would cut them anyway. First leaves will produce energy to the plant after the winter. Let them grow a little and then cut. If you are in the growing season, new leaves will appear next.

[nachtkrabb]

Your plant is wonderful, mmcavall, thank you very much.
Maybe I cut a part this year and a part later / next year, so that I do not feel like a murderess.
I will have a closer look again tomorrow.

When you cut your plant, it already had som new leaves growing. That made it easier. Here, I do not have such a point.

Maybe I will make + post a new picture, a close up. Depends on next weeks trials.
N.

[nachtkrabb]

I didn't dare to cut my plant because it was growing loads of leaves -- always at the ends of the twigs.
But now I have an idea how to cut through the example of mmcavall. I will do that early next winter.

Today I found a flower!

The first years, the plant produced loads of flowers *before* growing leaves. Then for some years, it didn't blossom at all, and had leaves all year round. This is a new variant, and I am happy about the flower.
N.

[greenknight]

I was thinking I had posted a reply here, but I guess i was remembering my response to mmcavall in the thread he linked. I agree with your idea of pruning it in stages - you've got plenty of branching already, you just need to neaten it up and make it look less straggly. No need for drastic pruning.

[nachtkrabb]

Thank you, greenknight.
I feel more safe with each message.
N.