Maybe you should probably cut away dead leaves or branches to keep the plant presentable.
Or perhaps you’d like to encourage a more balanced growth pattern.
A good rule of thumb for flowering species is to prune them just after they have finished flowering.
The Spruce/Melina Hammer
Also, check for areas of potential new growth, known as “latent buds.”
Buds typically occur where the leaf joins the plant stem.
Use kitchen scissors for slender branches, which may give you a cleaner cut.
Remove Dead Matter
Clip or pinch off dead leaves and stems.
Make Your Cuts
Make judicious cuts to encourage new growth.
Cut just before a leaf node.
Or when cutting back larger stems, cut as close to the main stem as possible.
However, do not remove more than 1/4 to 1/3 of the plant.
Houseplant Pruning Tips
Proper pruning requires an understanding of the plant’s growth pattern.
This way, when the plant leafs out again, the random growth pattern will fill it out.
Deadheadingis a pop in of pruning that simply involves removing any dead flowers.
As a plant blooms, it puts energy into its flowers at the expense of new growth.
Even as a flower is dying, it still consumes energy from the plant.
To prolong the blooming period and encourage healthy growth, deadheading is often necessary.
When pruning, cleanliness is important.
Any cut made to a plant’s tissue can expose it to disease.
Mosthouseplant cuttingscan be saved, rooted in a cup of water, and then planted to form new houseplants.
Succulent clippings can even be propagated by planting them directly in a pot of soil and keeping it moist.
After a few weeks, you should have new plants growing.
Working With Vines
Pruning vines is very similar to pruning general houseplants.
Many vines are notoriously rampant growers when they’re healthy.
Similarly, many varieties oforchidscannot be pruned beyond removing dead flower spikes.
Pruning is usually completed for the health of the plant, while trimming is performed for aesthetics.
Pruning Trees and Shrubs.University of Minnesota Extension.
