Pruning regularly is the best way to keep your shrubs and trees in good shape and produce the best display. However, if a plant has become very overgrown, more drastic action is needed – you'll need to remove some of the stems and reduce the rest by a third or a half.
If your large indoor plant has many leaves, the best way to combat this is by pruning. Removing damaged parts of the plant and trimming excess growth is vital to maintaining healthy houseplants. Some large houseplants are ideal for propagating. This means you can grow smaller plants for no extra cost!
How to Prune. Any time you prune, make proper cuts so you won't damage your plant. All cuts should be made on the branch side of the stem collar, which grows out from the stem at the base of the branch. This protects the stem and other branches that might be growing, and allows the tree to heal more effectively.
You can trim a leggy plant back, and the plant can actually grow stronger after the trimming. Yearly cutting can also encourage the plant to send out brand new shoots, creating a beautifully thick and lush plant. Trimming, pinching, and pruning are all helpful activities for eliminating leggy growth.
To promote good nutrient absorption, trim the roots and loosen up the root ball before replanting. Use a sharp knife or pruning shears for this job, removing as much as the bottom third of the root ball if necessary. Don't be surprised if what you cut off is a thick tangle of root tissue.
It's healthy, but getting too tall. Once it's taller than the window the growing part of the plant won't have enough light. It's time to cut off the top and root it, making a new, shorter plant. To do this, you a sharp knife, rooting powder, a clean pot and fresh potting mix.
It's really easy to stop a plant becoming leggy, or to help it stop creating more leggy growth: put it somewhere with the right level of light. If a plant has become leggy, move it a little bit closer to a window. Don't take it right from deep shade to bright sun – this will cause shock – but move it gradually.
How should I cut a plant that is too tall and needs to be replanted? Reduce the height by cutting an upright stem just above a growth node. In other words, trim it right above where a leaf has sprouted.
During excessively cold temperatures
Plants are more brittle in cold temperatures. Messing around with them may cause branches to snap and split unintentionally. It's minor, but it could impact the look of a plant or create a haven for insects and diseases later. Don't prune when the temperature falls below 25°F.
Renovation pruning (also called renewal pruning) removes all stems down to the ground. A second way to prune overgrown, deciduous shrubs is to cut them back to within 4 to 6 inches of the ground in March or early April. This severe pruning will induce a large number of shoots to develop during the growing season.
Pruning. If the crown of your tree is stretching too tall or wide, corrective pruning can help rein it in and size it down for the space available. It's crucial to prune a tree before it becomes a problem because taking away too many branches could cause unnecessary stress.
When cutting back an over-long stem, make your cut above a leaf node, where new growth will appear. If you're removing large stems entirely, cut as close to the main stem as possible, or right at the base of the plant, if that's how your plant grows. When pruning, the aim is to achieve a natural look.
Below are six signs you can easily recognize to determine if you are giving your plants too much fertilizer: Yellowing and wilting of lower plant leaves. Browning of leaf margins and tips. Black brown or rotting roots.
Yes—you can cut leggy plants back to encourage new stems to sprout, restoring your plants to lushness. Trim any exceptionally long, lanky stems, removing a third of their length and snipping just above a node (the point where leaves grow from the stem).
Many "leggy" indoor plants can easily be made bushier by cutting back the long stems and encouraging shoots at the base of the plant. The best time is early spring just before new growth begins.
When and How to Prune Your Plants: Top off your plants while they are young to encourage them to grow out, rather than up. The picture on the left is a pepper plant that I “topped off.” That means that I cut off the top of the plant to slow it's progress growing up, and to make the plant more bushy and compact.
It has a more difficult time carrying water, nutrients and absorbing oxygen, all of the things your plant needs to grow and without them, your plant will strangle itself. So I think we've settled why it is SO important for you to loosen the root ball.
Remove about one third or more of the potting mix surrounding the plant. As it grew, your plant removed some of the nutrients in the current mix, so you'll want to give it fresh mix if you're potting it anyway! Pour a layer of fresh potting soil into the new planter and pack it down, removing any air pockets.