Really undemanding and easy to care for, the African pencil bush is apparently an ideal plant for people without a green thumb. Since it is also very poisonous, it is not particularly suitable for households with small children or animals.
How do you care for a pencil bush?
Pencil bush care is simple: choose a bright location, use well-drained soil, water weekly in summer, every two weeks in winter and fertilize monthly during the growth phase. Cutting measures are not necessary, but possible. Warning: The plant is poisonous!
Plant your pencil bush in a sufficiently large pot with well-drained and nutrient-poor soil. A drainage hole with a drainage layer above successfully prevents waterlogging.
The ideal location for the pencil plant
The pencil plant prefers a very bright place, but can only tolerate direct sunlight after a slow period of getting used to it. The plant is welcome to spend the summer outside, but since it is not hardy, it should be brought back into the warm early enough.
Water and fertilize the pencil plant properly
The pencil bush does not tolerate hard water particularly well and is sensitive to waterlogging. It's best to water it with rainwater and let the top layer of soil dry out a little in between.
In summer, the shrub needs water about once a week. If it is cooler, then it is enough to water the pencil plant every two weeks. Add some liquid fertilizer to your irrigation water once a month, but only in the summer months.
Pruning the pencil bush properly
The pencil bush does not require pruning for he althy growth. However, it grows relatively quickly and can reach a size of up to three meters. If you don't have enough space for such a large houseplant, you can cut your pencil bush back.
The propagation of the pencil bush
The pencil bush can be propagated quite easily by cuttings. You can even use the clippings from any pruning you have done.
The most important things in brief:
- frugal and very easy to care for
- growing relatively quickly
- not hardy
- Pruning not necessary but possible
- all parts of plants poisonous
- Location: as bright and sunny as possible
- Cactus soil or soil-sand mixture
- water once a week in warm weather, every 2 weeks in cooler temperatures
- fertilize about once a month in summer
- Avoid waterlogging
- Propagation by cuttings
Tip
The extravagant pencil bush is very easy to care for and therefore quite suitable for people without a green thumb, but you should not forget that it is also very poisonous.
