One of the joys of growing your own cacti is being able to propagate cuttings from a cactus. Although trimming a prickly, tall plant may seem daunting, you will find that pruning an overgrown cactus will encourage the plant to become healthier.

Follow these general steps:

1). Use a very sharp knife that has been sterilised by dipping in methylated spirits/industrial alcohol.

2). For a spiny, large-growing cactus, use gloves and rolled up newspaper to hold the plant in place while you trim the cactus.

3). Allow the top half to dry and the raw end to form a callous the end of the cutting. The formation of a callous can take up to few weeks.

3). Plan the cutting in a well-drained potting mixture.

4). The bottom half will almost certainly offset to produce side-shoots in a few months, or at the start of the next growing season.

5). You can grow this part on as normal, but if you may want to trim the broken surface.

6). Water sparingly until new growth indicates root formation has started.