I grew Euphorbia mellifera from see last year very successfully. By
winter the three plants, planted in a pot, had achieved a height of
about 15 inches. I left it outside all winter. It is now spring and
the plants are very much alive but they look like miniature palm trees,
with long stems and just a few leaves on the tops. Should I just leave
them or cut them down to encourage new growth from below? I plan to put
them in the garden this spring anyway, but not sure whether to leave
them as is or not. TIA for any help,
--
Chris Boulby

In article , Chris Boulby
writes
I grew Euphorbia mellifera from see last year very successfully. By
winter the three plants, planted in a pot, had achieved a height of
about 15 inches. I left it outside all winter. It is now spring and
the plants are very much alive but they look like miniature palm trees,
with long stems and just a few leaves on the tops. Should I just leave
them or cut them down to encourage new growth from below? I plan to put
them in the garden this spring anyway, but not sure whether to leave
them as is or not. TIA for any help,

Leave them. They will throw new shoots from the base.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

In article , Chris Boulby
writes
I grew Euphorbia mellifera from see last year very successfully. By
winter the three plants, planted in a pot, had achieved a height of
about 15 inches. I left it outside all winter. It is now spring and
the plants are very much alive but they look like miniature palm trees,
with long stems and just a few leaves on the tops. Should I just leave
them or cut them down to encourage new growth from below? I plan to put
them in the garden this spring anyway, but not sure whether to leave
them as is or not. TIA for any help,

Leave them. They will throw new shoots from the base.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

"Chris Boulby" wrote in message
...
I grew Euphorbia mellifera from see last year very successfully. By
winter the three plants, planted in a pot, had achieved a height of
about 15 inches. I left it outside all winter. It is now spring and
the plants are very much alive but they look like miniature palm trees,
with long stems and just a few leaves on the tops. Should I just leave
them or cut them down to encourage new growth from below? I plan to put
them in the garden this spring anyway, but not sure whether to leave
them as is or not. TIA for any help,
--
Chris Boulby

I leave mine alone, but they grow from the base like other Euphorbia so
cutting stems will cause growth from the base (You can usually see a cluster
of new stems there)

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

"Chris Boulby" wrote in message
...
I grew Euphorbia mellifera from see last year very successfully. By
winter the three plants, planted in a pot, had achieved a height of
about 15 inches. I left it outside all winter. It is now spring and
the plants are very much alive but they look like miniature palm trees,
with long stems and just a few leaves on the tops. Should I just leave
them or cut them down to encourage new growth from below? I plan to put
them in the garden this spring anyway, but not sure whether to leave
them as is or not. TIA for any help,
--
Chris Boulby

I leave mine alone, but they grow from the base like other Euphorbia so
cutting stems will cause growth from the base (You can usually see a cluster
of new stems there)

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

Chris Boulby17/3/04 6:54

I grew Euphorbia mellifera from see last year very successfully. By
winter the three plants, planted in a pot, had achieved a height of
about 15 inches. I left it outside all winter. It is now spring and
the plants are very much alive but they look like miniature palm trees,
with long stems and just a few leaves on the tops. Should I just leave
them or cut them down to encourage new growth from below? I plan to put
them in the garden this spring anyway, but not sure whether to leave
them as is or not. TIA for any help,


Ray suggests letting them grow a bit more - couple of feet at least - and
then just pinch the tops out. That will encourage new, lower, growth.
--

Sacha
(remove the weeds to email me)

Chris Boulby17/3/04 6:54

I grew Euphorbia mellifera from see last year very successfully. By
winter the three plants, planted in a pot, had achieved a height of
about 15 inches. I left it outside all winter. It is now spring and
the plants are very much alive but they look like miniature palm trees,
with long stems and just a few leaves on the tops. Should I just leave
them or cut them down to encourage new growth from below? I plan to put
them in the garden this spring anyway, but not sure whether to leave
them as is or not. TIA for any help,


Ray suggests letting them grow a bit more - couple of feet at least - and
then just pinch the tops out. That will encourage new, lower, growth.
--

Sacha
(remove the weeds to email me)

In article , Charlie
Pridham writes

"Chris Boulby" wrote in message
...
I grew Euphorbia mellifera from see last year very successfully. By
winter the three plants, planted in a pot, had achieved a height of
about 15 inches. I left it outside all winter. It is now spring and
the plants are very much alive but they look like miniature palm trees,
with long stems and just a few leaves on the tops. Should I just leave
them or cut them down to encourage new growth from below? I plan to put
them in the garden this spring anyway, but not sure whether to leave
them as is or not. TIA for any help,

I leave mine alone, but they grow from the base like other Euphorbia so
cutting stems will cause growth from the base (You can usually see a cluster
of new stems there)

Does it actually *cause* growth? ie - do you get more shoots because
you've pruned it? I tend to be a bit leery of pruning euphorbias because
of the leaking sap. I cut them back with gay abandon if they're getting
in my way, but I wouldn't cut a small plant.

--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

In message , Kay Easton
writes
In article , Charlie
Pridham writes

"Chris Boulby" wrote in message
...
I grew Euphorbia mellifera from see last year very successfully. By
winter the three plants, planted in a pot, had achieved a height of
about 15 inches. I left it outside all winter. It is now spring and
the plants are very much alive but they look like miniature palm trees,
with long stems and just a few leaves on the tops. Should I just leave
them or cut them down to encourage new growth from below? I plan to put
them in the garden this spring anyway, but not sure whether to leave
them as is or not. TIA for any help,

I leave mine alone, but they grow from the base like other Euphorbia so
cutting stems will cause growth from the base (You can usually see a cluster
of new stems there)

Does it actually *cause* growth? ie - do you get more shoots because
you've pruned it? I tend to be a bit leery of pruning euphorbias because
of the leaking sap. I cut them back with gay abandon if they're getting
in my way, but I wouldn't cut a small plant.

Thanks everyone. I've taken a closer look at the bottom of the stems
(was looking for big shoots like my E. 'Great Dixter' does each year,
but now I see there are new shoots, though they are thin and wiry, right
at the base near the soil. I'll be patient (mother always said I was
born without it).
--
Chris Boulby National Collection of Diascias

In message , Kay Easton
writes
In article , Charlie
Pridham writes

"Chris Boulby" wrote in message
...
I grew Euphorbia mellifera from see last year very successfully. By
winter the three plants, planted in a pot, had achieved a height of
about 15 inches. I left it outside all winter. It is now spring and
the plants are very much alive but they look like miniature palm trees,
with long stems and just a few leaves on the tops. Should I just leave
them or cut them down to encourage new growth from below? I plan to put
them in the garden this spring anyway, but not sure whether to leave
them as is or not. TIA for any help,

I leave mine alone, but they grow from the base like other Euphorbia so
cutting stems will cause growth from the base (You can usually see a cluster
of new stems there)

Does it actually *cause* growth? ie - do you get more shoots because
you've pruned it? I tend to be a bit leery of pruning euphorbias because
of the leaking sap. I cut them back with gay abandon if they're getting
in my way, but I wouldn't cut a small plant.

Thanks everyone. I've taken a closer look at the bottom of the stems
(was looking for big shoots like my E. 'Great Dixter' does each year,
but now I see there are new shoots, though they are thin and wiry, right
at the base near the soil. I'll be patient (mother always said I was
born without it).
--
Chris Boulby National Collection of Diascias

In article , Chris Boulby
writes

Thanks everyone. I've taken a closer look at the bottom of the stems
(was looking for big shoots like my E. 'Great Dixter' does each year,
but now I see there are new shoots, though they are thin and wiry, right
at the base near the soil. I'll be patient (mother always said I was
born without it).

Chris - remember E mellifera is a giant - mine has got up to 6ft across.
And it doesn't die down each year. So, since yours is a tiny one year
old seedling, it's going to have tiny shoots - wait till it's got up to
adult size, and then you'll see big shoots!
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

The message
from Kay Easton contains these words:

In article , Chris Boulby
writes

Thanks everyone. I've taken a closer look at the bottom of the stems
(was looking for big shoots like my E. 'Great Dixter' does each year,
but now I see there are new shoots, though they are thin and wiry, right
at the base near the soil. I'll be patient (mother always said I was
born without it).

Chris - remember E mellifera is a giant - mine has got up to 6ft across.
And it doesn't die down each year. So, since yours is a tiny one year
old seedling, it's going to have tiny shoots - wait till it's got up to
adult size, and then you'll see big shoots!

I'm nurturing a couple of seedlings in the cold frame because I
thought mellifera was a bit tender..does yours suffer from cold at all,
kay?

Janet

In message , Janet
Baraclough.. writes
The message
from Kay Easton contains these words:

In article , Chris Boulby
writes

Thanks everyone. I've taken a closer look at the bottom of the stems
(was looking for big shoots like my E. 'Great Dixter' does each year,
but now I see there are new shoots, though they are thin and wiry, right
at the base near the soil. I'll be patient (mother always said I was
born without it).

Chris - remember E mellifera is a giant - mine has got up to 6ft across.
And it doesn't die down each year. So, since yours is a tiny one year
old seedling, it's going to have tiny shoots - wait till it's got up to
adult size, and then you'll see big shoots!

I'm nurturing a couple of seedlings in the cold frame because I
thought mellifera was a bit tender..does yours suffer from cold at all,
kay?

Janet
Someone at an HPS garden told me that E. stygiana is hardier than
mellifera, but still with the scent and 'looks' of mellifera, so I'm
trying to germinate seed of that this year in case my mellifera fails
when put in the ground. But I've also germinated more mellifera too

And all this from one who didn't like them until a couple of years ago.
--
Chris Boulby National Collection of Diascias

In article , Janet Baraclough.
.. writes

I'm nurturing a couple of seedlings in the cold frame because I
thought mellifera was a bit tender..does yours suffer from cold at all,
kay?

No, but it is just under the kitchen window on a south facing wall
(ground floor level is 4ft above ground level, in case you were having
visions of us being blocked in by a 6ft football)

It is supposed to be tender, so I wouldn't suggest your taking them out
of the cold frame, even though on Arran you're going to be a lot warmer
than 400 ft up in Yorkshire. Otoh, a have 4 or 5 seedlings scattered
about in odd places on the rest of the terrace, ie without the warmth of
the house at their backs, and they all seem OK. None of them is growing
at the rate of Chris's, though!

It was mere accident that I got mine - I knew nothing about euphorbias,
but my husband liked them, so we picked up several different ones at
the GC for our new garden. I've rarely seen it on sale since, but it
really is a cracker - huge, vigorous, doesn't flop like characias but
otherwise has similar character, but for a long season is covered with
great clusters of honey scented flowers - and when I say scented, I mean
flowers that send their perfume across the whole terrace.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm