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 to prepare these Hydrangeas for healthy growth in Spring and Summer?

I have a few of those hydrangeas and some others like below I left them alone during winter. Now do I cut them down to the root? Or do I leave them alone like that? What to do? I am in Pacific Northwest. Thanks
HP.
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Worried about personal health after dealing with houseplant potentially infected by fungus

I've just pruned the leaves that have died off of my Dracaena Massangeana houseplant. I covered its ailments in two previous questions: Dracaena leaves yellowing: too much water? Dracaena Massangeana: Leaf spots on new growth The dead leaves came…
kettlepot
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training branched-olive sapling

I need help finding the pruning and training techniques to have branched-olive (no central axis) produced from semi-hard cuttings instead of standard format. thanks
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How to promote upward growth after the leader has been pruned back?

I recently purchased a bare root Japanese zelkova tree online. It came with the leader pruned back. The whole tree is barely 2' (60 cm) tall at this point. I've found in some cases that nothing will grow upward from that point. Is there any way I…
Daniel
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Train two branches together?

I have an olea europa that I bought at 3-4ft and allowed to grow as it wished. I've now pruned it quite heavily, and would like to train its 'leader' branch back to being more central: as it is, it kinks slightly to one side, and another, smaller…
OJFord
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How to pinch off small harvests from thyme plants?

I am planning on harvesting my thyme. The thyme plants, 7 week-old since planting (seed pod going in a hydroponic system), are short and tiny compared to other herbs. I'd like to harvest some sprigs and still allow the rest to grow. Where/how should…
Eddie Kal
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What should I do with organic waste?

The hedge of my small garden is made of cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus). I have to trim them every year as they increase their volume rapidly. This produces large amounts of organic waste and I don't really know what I should do with it. I don't…
Augustin
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How to bend a large avocado tree branch

I am needing to bend a branch of 100mm diameter (4 inches) permanently upwards on a avocado tree. Needs to be raised by about a meter at a distance of 1.5 meters away from the trunk. I've used ratchet straps to bend it about half of the way upwards…
cheapskate
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Do I need to prune my leaning Meyer

My Meyer lemon previously had a problem with some spotty yellowing of its leaves shortly after purchase as per this question but seems to have largely recovered. However, the stem is on a serious lean on account of the heavy fruit on its…
Graham Chiu
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If the tree roots must be reduced, is it wise to reduce the crown too?

Let's say a driveway must be dug in the vicinity (but not closer than 1m) of a large tree (in my case it is a Juglans regia, but I would like the question, and possible answers, to be as generic as possible). This means that certain portion of the…
VividD
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How to prune lavender?

Last year I pruned my lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) very aggressively, so that the bushes resulted quite small, with very short branches. I pruned it in about October (I leave at about 45° North). This year my lavender produced a lot of short…
Starnuto di topo
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Pruning and caring for heuchera / coral bells that have gotten too much sun?

It's getting into the driest, hottest part of summer here in MI and my heuchera / coral bells are starting to show some dissatisfaction with it. The outer leaves are browning and turning crispy. My question is: should I prune off the browning/drying…
Ryan
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Should I be pruning my chilli plants during a Sydney winter?

It's been an unseasonably cold winter this year in Sydney. My chilli plants live outdoors. At the moment they are still alive, but most have lost most of their leaves. Should I prune off the dead branches? Should I do any other pruning before Summer…
Megasaur
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Is the size of a conifer tree's root system proportional to the size of the tree

Is the size of a conifer tree's root system proportional to the size of the tree? By the same token will limiting tree size also have an effect on root system size?
Gilles
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How should I trim back a neighbor's Japanese red maple bush?

My neighbor's Japanese red maple bush (tree) is hanging over my yard line and I'm planning on putting a fence up soon. I have to trim it back and here in Pennsylvania it is my legal right to do so, but I don't want to kill or harm the tree. I have…