Houseplants are living beings that can be seriously damaged by careless pruning. Before you reach for the scissors, you should read this article for comprehensive information on the correct procedure. Rejuvenate your indoor plants like a pro thanks to our guide.
Pruning will encourage branching
Why you should prune your indoor plants regularly
Lush green leaves have just formed, maybe even pretty flowers and now you should reach for the scissors? Don't be fooled, a pruning can have a very beneficial effect on the plant:
- better growth thanks to more light supply
- more compact growth
- Plant does not waste energy on dead shoots
- more ramifications
time
Aside from the winter dormancy period, you can prune your indoor plants all year round. Only when the plant draws its juices back inside does it recover less well from the cuts.
Various pruning styles
There are plenty of reasons to prune a houseplant, although these are certainly not comparable to pruning a crop grown outdoors. But there are also several types of pruning for indoor plants:
Utils
To make cutting easier, you should adapt the tool to the growth of the plant:
- use a sharp knife for unwoody shoots
- use secateurs for woody shoots
- for thick branches use pruning shears or a small hand saw
The usual pruning
With a slight pruning you stimulate the branching of the houseplant. How to proceed:
- Set the scissors just above the top eye
- you can recognize this by the curvature of the handle
- the cuts usually heal very quickly
The strong cut
- in doing so, you also shorten the lower part of the plant
- nevertheless, at least one eye must be preserved
- otherwise the plant will die
break out shoots
Breaking out the shoots is comparable to a slight pruning. However, even more length of a plant part is preserved, since they only remove 1 to 3 cm of the shoot tip. This method is particularly recommended for strong cuttings, as they grow all the more branched as a result. Use your thumb and forefinger to break open. If you are unable to cut the shoot with your hands, use a sharp knife or scissors.