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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Should I cut the top of my Schefflera?

I have this Schefflera which is growing pretty well. When I got it a year ago it was half this size, and I don't fertilize much. But I don't want it to become too high. I'd like it to grow lateral stems instead of just one long stem reaching for…
Augustin
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Cherry tree pruning problems

I have a cherry fruit tree that I left alone for 5 years. It's growing "weird" now that I need to seriously pay attention and prune. The first photo shows that the top two branches reaching up to like 10 feet high. They are both similar height and…
HP.
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Japanese Maple Care after years of neglect

Location is Portland, OR area. My new (to me; built 1972) house came with a 10 ft tall Japanese Maple in the front yard. I don't know when the tree was planted but it has suffered through the years from neglect and rather heavy-handed butchery…
Jim Garrison
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Can I trim a blue spruce tree to keep it from getting larger?

We have a blue spruce next to our house. It's probably as tall as I want it (I would guess 12 feet, basically reaching our roof line) and certainly as wide as I want it. Can I trim this tree to keep it from growing? If so, how would i go about this?
Sidney
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Is this rule of thumb for timing dormant pruning correct?

In the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service's Training and Pruning Fruit Trees publication it says this (bolding mine): The timing of dormant pruning is critical. Pruning should begin as late in the winter as possible to avoid winter…
David
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Should I cut off cactus pads to help the main branch to grow?

I have some small cactus (one year old) and they are have been producing a lot of new pads. If I remove the branching pads, the main stem will have more energy to develop itself (my main focus is to have a single, big stem), right? Plus, I can start…
Mateus Vahl
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How should I deal with tree root pushing on brick retaining wall?

We have a Mt Fuji, Prunus 'Shirotae', tree with a total diameter of about 8 meters (26 feet). We only have a small garden but love this tree. It's planted next to a brick retaining wall (goes down to our driveway). For a long time it's been fine but…
ioquatix
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How do I treat a wound where a branch broke off my apple tree?

One of the secondary branches on my apple tree broke just where it joins the main branch: The branch is now hanging by just a little strip of wood and bark: Click any photo for full size I understand that the wound can't be repaired and that I…
Niall C.
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When and how should I prune lavender?

I'm currently growing some lavender from seed and I was wondering if I should go ahead a prune it. I know with basil it helps with improving yields and bushiness but I'm not sure if I should prune lavender as aggressively or if it's even necessary…
Jon
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How can I make this succulent less splayed-out and lanky?

1) I think this is a Sansevieria suffruticosa, but I'm just guessing based on internet pictures. Does that seem right? It made these flowers once, and looks like this at the base. 2) It's grown extremely long and lanky-looking. The leaves are…
endolith
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Can I trim my canary palm trunk or is it a lost cause?

Below is a canary palm in my front yard: I had a tree trimming service some out and trim away the branches. They didn't do anything to the trunk though - I asked them to come back out, and the guy said that the trunk couldn't be trimmed because…
MrDuk
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Pruning Dogwood, Lavender and Spirea

I'm new to gardening as this is the first place we've moved to with a garden. I've managed to work out some of the plants that are present in the garden, however, they look like they have never been tended to in a loving way. I have dogwood in the…
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To prune or not to prune tomato's lower leaves?

I battled early blight last year, so this year I laid down a thick bed of grass clippings as mulch in my raised beds to prevent splashing of the dirt onto the plants. Last night, simply out of habit, I used scissors to cut off the the lower leaf…
Evil Elf
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Which side of a dead branch should you prune?

The last few inches of a young branch on a fruit tree (several branches, several trees) are dead so I plan on cutting it off. Should I make the cut in the living section or dead section?
Guy
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How to prune an overgrown (and now flowering) Dracaena?

My cut Dracaena (houseplant) has become very tall, and now one of the "branches" has flowered. What is the typical way a Dracaena is maintained as a household specimen plant as it outgrows the configuration as seen in the example below? My Dracaena…
Robert Cartaino
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