Monday, August 20, 2012

Cactus Monday - Chicken Cactus

I don't have a drawing today of my subject but I do have a few pictures to share with you. I showed you this cactus back some time ago when I bought it. It has grown magnificently. I have to bring it in every winter. While it survives the winters it does it's growing during the summer while it sits out on the patio.
It has grown so tall that it had a mishap during the storms the other day. A big blow brought some much needed rain to the garden. The wind did a job on the poor cactus. I don't know if it will ever stay upright.
Have any of you ever grown one of these cactus? It is impossibly top heavy. I wondered if I could just cut off the top part, let it scab-over and then replant it.  It is almost too tall to deal with anyway. I would appreciate any ideas about how to deal with this. I have thought about staking it but the soil in the pot is so shallow I don't think staking would help much.
I hope you all have a happy Cactus Monday.

12 comments:

Lynn Cohen said...

How about planting it in the ground? Just take it and the soil out of that pot and putting it all in the ground right side up of course. I hope this works. Good luck.

SandyCarlson said...

Wonderful stuff! Thanks, Lisa.

Julie said...

It surely has grown to monster size! Yes, you can cut it into many peices and start all kinds of new plants, if you want, which is probably a best bet since you have to bring it in each winter! I just cut off a similar shaped succulent that was leaning nearly out of one of my tires....the base is still in the ground...so you could actually just cut all the tops out and let the top regrow, if you want to keep it in the same pot! It would be a fun experiment! Good luck!
Julie

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

Yes Lisa I grew one once and yours is a baby compared to what ours got to be. Big mistake. It grew like a weed and got so tall and top heavy we had to put a pole in it and tie it up to the wall and when we had to move it for tenting of our condo ..we were attached to many.. it almost did in everyone moving it because it got spike like needles on it as it got bigger.. It started actually bending over when it got to the top of the breeze way plastic, the breeze way being very tall. I need to find a photo of it. We ended up leaving it when we moved and they cut it up and took it to the dump. It was to dangerous to move again. Maybe you can cut it.. worth a try but its gonna get out of hand as is.

marianne said...

Maybe you can put some stick around it??
Amazing Lisa!
Thought I have read somewhere this isn't a real cactus but more a succulent? Is that true? Teri knows probably.
Hope you are enjoying summer Lisa!
HCM!!!
♥M

Teri said...

Wowee, it is a biggie!! Listen to Julie's advice as that will work. This is a case of your plant taking over the garden if you let it.
a bit late.

Robin said...

I am late...(typical)...but, I echo Marianne and Julie. This will work!
(You can plant something smaller in that delightful Chicken planter!)

Big Hugs,

♥ Robin ♥

soulbrush said...

Looks so funny bending over like that. I do miss my senita since she expired one day- just shrivelled up and gave up. Happy CM very late.

Katiejane said...

That is one tall cactus, my dear! I am no authority on cacti, but I would suggest a deeper pot. Looks like chickie baby isn't going to do the trick anymore..
I have a ponytail plant that grows at warp speed in summer too. I have to give it a bigger pot every couple years or so. I wouldn't suggest cutting this off.

studio lolo said...

Definately a deeper, taller pot! Cut some babies for the chicken pot.

I don't have any succulents here. I think I should get some :)

Quiet Paths said...

My mother in law has one of these. It finally grew so tall she used for a Christmas Cactus and put lights on it. I think eventually part of it cracked and dried off. But the basic plant is still intact. Those are amazing.

verobirdie said...

Beautiful, but scary, if it takesyour garden over as some suggest.