Steps on how to grow and care for Burro's Tail

Burro's Tail plant grows to about 4 inch long which will take around 6 years or so. As the plant grows it begins to gets very thick with those trailing stems heavily laden with overlapping plump, juicy leaves that form a groovy braided pattern.

Burro's Tail mature plant gets very heavy. This particular plant is not for a flimsy pot with a flimsy hanger. Burro's Tail plant is best grown in a hanging basket, in a large pot, and also in a pot that hangs against a wall.

How to care for Burro’s Tail

     1. Light requirement: Burro's Tail plant actually likes bright shade or partial sun.  Burro's Tail plant will burn in strong, hot sun. 

     2. Watering of plant: Burro's Tail plant leaves store water so be sure not to overwater it. The plant will rot out if you overwater it. In the growing season when the days are actually warmer and longer you can water it more often every nine to eleven days.

    3. The soil requirement: On like any other succulent, Burro's Tail plant needs good drainage. The water needs to drain out of it fast that is why it is advice to use a mix specially formulated for cactus and succulents. Also you can add horticultural grade sand and perlite to lighten up whatever potting soil you have.

Make sure you top dress all the containers in your garden with compost and worm castings every spring.

     4. Pest control: One of the pests that attack Burro’s Tail plant is aphids, you can hose them off every month. This particular plant really isn’t susceptible to a wide range of insects. Make sure you spray the plant with a mixture of 1/5 rubbing alcohol to 4/5 water if hosing off isn’t doing the trick. You can apply Neem Oil, which works on a wide range of insects, this is an organic method of control that is actually simple and very effective.

     5. The propagation of plant: On like most succulents, Burro’s Tail plant is a snap to propagate.  You can simply cut the stems to the length you want, and then peel the bottom 1/3 of the leaves off and then let those stems heal off (this is where the cut end of the stem callus over) for two weeks to three months before planting. 

Furthermore, when you plant your cuttings, you need to pin them down in the pot because the weight of the stems may pull them out.  Also you can propagate it by individual leaf cuttings.