Euphorbia Milli a.k.a Crown of thorns.
This plant comes under the genus of Succulents, and belongs to the
Euphorbiaceae family. Crown of thorns is a wonderful plant and one of the beat known drought resistant plant. This plant is easy to grow and can tolerate high amount of heat. This plant is a jewel to your garden and as such there is no season for flowering. This plant can be easily propagated and the grown bushes are a real treat for eye. If you are looking for plants that are not eaten by the stray animals then this plant comes handy. This plant can be grown as shrubs, hedges, potted plants and even some times as a balcony plant.
Care for Crown of thorns.
Soil Requirement for this plant is not as difficult as other succulents this plant can grown in almost any kind of soil but to have better results you can use the potting mix that is suitable for growing succulents. (For better results please click on the blue link for soil mix ).
This is a succulent and the watering care for this plant is just like other succulents and does not tolerate excess watering and is more susceptible to root rot when over watered, which is one of the major problem with this plant. I would suggest that you should see that the top layer, that is the top 3 cm of the soil should be totally dry when you water the plant. See to that the plant is watered thoroughly when watered
This plant is a very good drought resistant plant and can do good in high temperatures zones, This plant needs good to heavy sun light for good flowering but at the same time protect the plant from harsh sun as it may get leaf burn. If your intention is to grow this plant in a planter then a eastern window sill or the eastern balcony is best suited. The Bright flowers will have the charm for almost a week before they start fading. This plant can also be used for ornamental decoration purpose.
Propagation techniques for crown of thorn plant.
Crown of Thorns plant is propagated from cuttings, make sure that you have all these things handy before you start the process. one sterile cutting knife, a pair of surgical gloves, few tissue papers, and some water in a jug. Before getting your cuttings see to that the plant is well hydrated so that the cuttings will also have good amount of water.
Select a stem that is 6-7 inch in long and had some good amount of leaves and cut the stem to the middle say 3.5-4 inch from the top with the sterile cutting knives make sure that you have put on the surgical gloves as the sap that comes out while cutting may induce some irritation to your skin and eyes. After the cuttings are taken wash the cut area with some cold water so that the excess sap is washed away and the cutting is clean from any infection.
After cleaning your cutting place the cutting on the tissue paper and allow the cutting wound to heal a bit for 3-4 days, remove most of the leaves leaving back some 5-6 on the stem.Dip the cutting in the rooting hormone powder and place the cutting in the potting mix to a depth of 1 inch, during all this time the cutting should not be exposed to direct sun but should be kept in bright area.
Water the cutting sparingly after you are finished. Then water every few days, but only enough to keep the soil damp. (Do not water as you normally would because the new plant has no roots yet to absorb the water from the soil and you might cause rot.) It will take several weeks before the cutting roots out and gets established. Once you start to see new growth you can begin to water normally. That’s it!
Fertilizing your crown of thorns
This plant needs good fertilization and can give beautiful blooms when proper care is given. Feed the plants with macro and micro nutrients in regular intervals to get the optimum look and blooms.
A tip for Indoor and Outdoor Plants, Succulents, Cactus, Bonsai, Fruits and Vegetables in Chennai 