Questions tagged [pruning]

Questions about how to best cut plant branches, vines or stems. For questions about root pruning please use the [root-pruning] tag.

"Pruning" is the act of cutting a plant's branch (typically of a or ), or (of a , , etc.).

Pruning is performed primarily to produce a better shaped plant, or to promote new growth of branches or .

In many cases, prunings (i.e. the discarded branches) can be used as to create new plants.

In rare situation even roots could be pruned to remove rotten parts, or to be able to remove a plant from an outgrown pot, etc. For questions like these use the tag.

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How do I get a nice dense folliage back on my Chinese Elm?

I'm new here and quite new to growing bonsais! I'm in possession of a Chinese Elm, which I bought 3 months ago. It was held outside by the previous owner, so it had no leaves when it arrived here. I'm keeping it inside. After a month it started…
Wordsworth
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Black cattleya pseudobulb

I would like to ask if I need to prune off the blackened pseudobulb on this cattleya orchid or could I just leave it as is. Thanks!
user71128
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Trim hydrangeas when some growth on old branches

Below is my hydrangeas that was way over due I didn’t trim it until Feb 15 The darker branches have some growth on top of it. I thought those are dead branches. Also the whiter color branches are dead right? I assume.
HP.
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Is it ever too late to prune hawthorn?

The previous owners of our property planted a hawthorn hedge as screening from the road but it's clearly not been managed for severally years; they're now established trees 10+ feet tall. Hawthorn is known to be resilient to pruning but does this…
Mr. Boy
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What should i do with this mulberry tree?

Last year i had planted 4 mulberry trees outside but slowly they all started to die. I figured it was the soil. It was badly compacted. Eventually, i was left with just one which i decided to pull out and put in a container. Soon after, that one…
Hamid Sabir
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How long can I keep rosette-forming Peperomias without pruning, while in ideal growing conditions?

Unlike nurseries, flower shops do not provide all conditions for healthy growth. Sellers are often stuck with batches of rosette-forming Peperomias such as P. Caperata, P. griseoargentea and P. argyreia. Sellers end-up with poor-looking plants. What…
Christmas Snow
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Will lemon tree ever grow new leaves on on bare branches?

I have an apparently healthy lemon tree that exhibits a few isolated leafless branches, 10-30cm long. Can I assume these are dead wood and prune them, or should I wait longer for them to emit new leaves?
Aaron Brick
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Is the pruner bad or my technique? Cuts are not clean and nice

I got this pruner and the build quality is certainly good, but my cut experience is not going good. The cuts are not clean. Check the pics attached: This is how I do it: I place the pruner in position at an angle with the blade side up and snap!…
4-K
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When is the best time to prune a Magnolia tree, and how much?

I live in Derbyshire, UK and have a Magnolia tree which in recent years seems to have gone a bit out of control, i.e. much bigger than I think it ought to be for the space it occupies. I feel it needs to be half to two-thirds its current size, but…
Phil Hawthorn
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Cutting bush down to manageable size

When I moved into my current house, there were two fairly large "spiky" bushes. They grow fairly quick and I have to prune it quite a few times a year. I ended up buying an electric hedge trimmer to help speed things up, but I still end up spending…
Sittin Hawk
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Avocado plant "gone wrong"; can I lop off the top and get it back on track?

I have an avocado plant (indoors) which I grew from seed just for fun. Alas, I've neglected it and now it is 'leggy' and the top quarter is twisted 45 degrees. Can I cut it back close to the root and let it start over? That would mean cutting off…
spring
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Butternut squash lost growing tip, is it worth keeping it?

One of my butternut squash plants lost its growing tip. Probably cut while mowing the grass, since they are planted on the borders of the garden and not in the raised beds because of the space they need. The stem is probably around 35-40cm (15in)…
csamx
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Is it possible to get this badly-pruned magnolia back to a natural shape?

We bought a house a few months ago that has a magnolia tree in the front, as shown below: As you can see, it's sort a mess, with long thin branches shooting upwards and down. If you get inside of it, it almost looks as if someone took an imaginary…
gammapoint
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Some of my walnut trees have double trunks. Is it safe and wise to remove one?

I have bought an orchard which has some walnut that are about 10 years old. These walnuts have been never pruned. Some of them have two or three trunks. Is it safe or wise to remove one of them? Can I remove left and right branch from below tree?…
Mehdi Azizi
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Can a Maple tree be pruned to grow tall and narrow?

I have a maple tree that's poorly placed. Maples grow too wide and it's starting to crowd the house and other plants. A tree that grows tall and narrow would have been a better choice. But before I spend the time and money moving it or tearing it…
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