pachypodium succulentum

[brianc]

I have just been given a large P. Succulentum the branches are very long and get in the way of other plants,
can i trim them back and by how much, they are about 2 foot long at the moment.

[Herts Mike]

You can trim them right back to the base Brian. They will sprout again next year.

[MikeDom]

I agree with Mike. Here's one I did the year before last about this time. I left one branch to help the plant grow and that is about to come off now. I didn't go right back to the caudex but about 1 - 2 inches above. Worth doing otherwise you end up with the straggly mess of the 40 odd plants as in the last photo, which all need some surgery though they won't all be cut that far back this time. Takes a while for the new shoots to appear though, and you won't get flowers for a few years on those new stems.

Don't forget that P. succulentum is easily propagated from stem and root cuttings. Take 100-220 mm long cuttings from the youngest branches in late spring, seal the ends and dip in a rot-preventing mixture. Dust the ends with a rooting hormone powder and leave to dry out for about a week. Plant the cuttings in the same mixture as for seeds, but start watering only after root development. A warm environment, semishade and moisture will ensure that the cuttings root successfully. Copied from Plantzafrica website. Last thing I need is anymore as the seeds germinate easily as well and they've just been released from the seedpods.