Jatropha podagrica

[BronxFatty]

I purchased a seed-grown Jatropha podagrica, and the containerized plant is about 5 years old. It's about 8 inches tall above the swelling, bottle-shaped base but the thinner tap root section extends deeper into the gritty substrate and is not exposed. The caudex is about 2 inches in diameter at the widest point, and about 5 inches long, not counting the two branches growing from the top, supporting the very large leaves and flower stalks. The plant grew throughout the summer months in full-sun. Rain was the main source of water. The plant was grown "hard".

As the plant ages, I'd much rather have a shorter, fatter plant with a pineapple/bottle shaped caudex, rather than a plant having a taller, but thick "trunk". I want girth, not height.

Any suggestions on how to encourage the plant to grow wider? Would pinching out the terminals to limit branch growth help push the caudex to become fatter?

First time growing Jatropha p.