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dodge Offline OP
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Name me pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..


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A Gnome's Best Friend
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that's a pencil catcus Dodge I've had one for years,,
Before I moved here to Tx Mine got 7 foot tall,, and about 3 -4 foot wide if not wider, It was Huge,, I had to sell it because I couldn't load it on the Uhaul truck when I moved,,, But I sold to a nursery for 200$ ,, and that was a steal for one that Big,, the nursery still has it,, and now it's close to 9 foot,, they have to keep cutting it back,, I did cut a piece off of it to bring to TX with me, but I see the mother plant every time I go back to KS,
I also have the Fire stick pencil cactus, looks the same But,,, it turns red when it gets cooler,, It's about 3 ft tall right now,, got it last summer,, in a 4 inch pot,, now it's in a 12 inch,, the more room you give it the bigger it grows,,, careful the milky liquid in it can be toxic,, wash hands after you cut it,! And bright Indirect light

If you want to start a new piece let the cut end callous over a few days first, then plant it I use 1 part sand with 1 part cactus mix and 2 parts potting soil for mine that's standard for all my cactus / succulent plants

http://www.arhomeandgarden.org/plantoftheweek/articles/Pencil_Cactus.htm


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I have not seen a pencil cactus in years! my dad used to own a nursery that I worked in as a kid. we had one that was 15-20 feet tall. we'd take cuttings off it each year standing on a ladder to reach the top. we put ours directly in the soil and they'd root just fine. yea, that milky stuff is nasty. I remember it used to make my skin itch.
boy, did that pic bring back memories. I'd love to have one. I never see them anywhere anymore. and that fire stick pencil cactus sounds very interesting!


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dodge Offline OP
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Now I am afraid to cut it , being she said that>>LOL


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Cricket I've never had a pencil cactus successfully root without letting it callous over first, It might make a difference going directly in the ground,, but they are Not Frost tolerant,,,,, soooo I guess I'll never find out,, lol


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I can't see what it would hurt to let it callous over first. our cuttings were in a green house so maybe with such a controlled atmosphere they didn't need to callous over? who knows? that was a long time ago.
I wouldn't worry about the poison milky goo and making you itch, dodge. you gotta figure you are taking a few cuttings. back when I was working in the greenhouse we'd spend an entire day cutting and planting just pencil cactus. that's a lot of opportunity to get that nasty stuff all over your skin. ha ha.


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Originally Posted by dodge
Now I am afraid to cut it , being she said that>>LOL


Dodge I have gotten the milky substance on me,, never bothered me,, also with datura's and Brugs they have never Bothered me or irriated my skin at all,, I guess I'm just a 'Old Tuff Cookie' lol IF you have sensitive skin,, I would just take precautions is what I'm saying :wink: ,,

here is my fire stick pencil cactus,, I've found the last two years it doesn't turn red when in hot direct sun thru the summer,, but turns red as it cools in the fall,, it is just now starting to turn red now,,


cactus%20and%20succulents/firestick.jpg" alt="[Linked Image]" class="post-image" style="height:auto!important;max-width:100%!important;"/>


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dodge Offline OP
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I heard of rubbers .......Gloves to wear.
I arent certain it is the same.. Know why? Mine hang down yours dont .. Go look again.
b


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the one I posted is the red stick pencil,, which is a variation of the regular pencil cactus,, I just posted the red one to show you that particular one turns reddish,,
However the regular pencil cactus I have like yours, did hang down when it was young ,,,, the older it gets the more firm the branches,,eventually as it matures in years it will branch out up right,, and thicken up to hold the weight of the branches so it doesn't hang down. thumbup idea Oh I also cut off to shape the longer hanging ones and let them callous over and planted back in the soil to make the plant fuller,, thumbup


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dodge Offline OP
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i think I had it about 7 years.
Plants act different in my climate..

b


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Miss. Farmer
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I *had* a pencil cactus and now I *have* a pencil cactus! They are tough as nails!

Cricket & others-- if you want one, you might inquire with your local college or university. If the biology, or the horticulture, or some other plant-related department has a greenhouse (as most do), they sometimes have plant sales and will put out all sorts of cool specimens just to make space. Poke around their web sites and see if you can't find mention of the greenhouse and a contact person. My experience is that the plants are dirt cheap (sorry), and extremely healthy, and the sales are open to the public.

I got my pencil plant from such a sale about 4-5 years ago. [Insert long story.] Just this past week I found it tucked away in a dark corner of the basement. It's alive! Not all that good lookin', but alive. So now I have one again. The information about callousing is now very useful!


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"No crime is involved in plagiarizing nature's ways" (Edward H. Faulkner, 1943, "Plowman's Folly," University of Oklahoma Press).

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