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If you’re here, you most likely have at least one plant that has outgrown its space in your room. You want to move it, but where should you put it?
You’re not the only one seeking for practical ways to keep plants tiny.
I receive numerous emails from folks asking the same question.
Pruning the roots of plants is, in essence, the greatest approach to maintain their small size. Other approaches include of:
To keep plants small and bushy, cut the tops off each stem just above the first bud.
Trim the tips of herbaceous flowering plants in the spring when new growth appears.
Unexpected fact: you can use alcohol to stop your plants from growing.
Beer and wine are not permitted in the diluted alcohol solution (4-6% alcohol). Check read my article here if you’re thirsty for more information on this subject and want to see what happens if you give your plant alcohol.
It provides several insights into how alcohol affects plants and provides an answer to the age-old topic of whether plants can get drunk.
Additionally, if you enjoy using compact, shallow containers, you might be interested in my article where I discuss the finest plants for such containers. These plants are rather common, not particularly exotic, and the small pots look lovely, don’t you think?
Let’s now delve a little deeper to see how we can accomplish all of that effectively:
How can I maintain little houseplants?
Indoor plants provide life and color to a place, but some species can quickly overrun their confines. By preventing or delaying the upward growth of the plants, careful pruning aids in maintaining their size. An yearly pruning of a houseplant can help it grow more leaves and/or bloom buds, which enhances its beauty. Although not all types of indoor plants require the same amount of pruning, many indoor plant types can be kept small by employing certain simple techniques.
When indoor herbaceous blooming plants, like begonias, start to send up new growth in the spring, pinch back the developing points. Plants that are herbaceous don’t have woody stems. On each vertical stem, cut each tip back to the first or second bud. Plants begin to branch at the locations where their upward growth is constrained but stops, resulting in fuller, more compact plants.
In order to regulate their size, prune back most overgrown plants in the spring, especially those that don’t generate woody stems. Use sharp pruning shears to make the pruning cut within 1/4 inch of a leaf set or bud, removing up to one-third of the length of each stem.
At any time, remove any leaves that are dead or damaged by pinching off or cutting them off at the base. A plant’s main stems and the crown, where the leaves and roots converge, should not be cut.
Every year in the spring, just as new growth starts, prune the roots of indoor plants that are in pots. Each plant should be taken out of its pot and its outside roots separated from the soil mass. Cut each plant’s loose roots back to within 1 inch of the main root ball. Plants should be repotted into the same or similar-sized pots.
When house plants become too large, what should you do?
It sounds terrible to “prune the roots” of a plant. However, once a houseplant reaches the desired size, it becomes a recurring requirement. Many indoor plants have the potential to get pretty big if left unchecked, but while a 30-foot-tall weeping fig is a beautiful sight on a Caribbean island, my living room ceiling cannot support such growth. Root pruning allows for new soil and new root growth without requiring a plant to be moved to a larger pot, and it also slows stem growth.
Whatever potted plant’s rate of growth—or attempt at growth—and any peculiarities it may have regarding root pruning will determine how frequently I prune it. For instance, my angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia spp.) undergoes one severe root and one stem trimming each year. However, my ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata), which steadily fills more and more of its clay container with its bulbous stalk every year, hasn’t needed root pruning in 19 years.
Usually, plants will let us know when to prune their roots. A larger container or root (and stem) pruning is required if a plant is more than two or three times taller than the height of its pot and on the verge of toppling. Of course, there are exceptions, such as clivia, which flourishes despite being crammed for years in the same pot.
Additionally, plants have more subtle ways of letting us know when their roots need fresh soil: after their roots have filled a container, they will begin to dry up very quickly. Even the drainage holes may start to seep with tangled roots.
Slide the root ball out of the pot and examine it for clues as to whether the plant need root pruning. When the potting soil is just moist enough to work with, this is easiest. For smaller plants, I turn the pot on its side and tap the rim of the pot against the edge of my potting bench while keeping my hand flat on the soil at the base of the stem and the stem between my middle and index fingers. To move a large houseplant, such as my six-foot-tall weeping fig, I lay it on its side on the ground, secure the pot with my feet, and then pull on the stem. When thick roots are pressing up against a root ball’s edge or encircling its outer layers, it is time to root prune.
I either prune with a sharp knife or a saw, depending on the size of the root ball and the thickness of the roots. Now is the moment to remove a layer of dirt and roots from the area around and beneath the root ball while gritting your teeth. The amount to cut away will mostly depend on the size of the ball: I might remove anywhere between a half-inch from the top to the bottom of a small ball to two inches from the root ball of a plant growing in a big tub.
I then go over the entire root ball once more, this time removing soil and roots from all over its surface using a pronged hand cultivator or a stick. This encourages new roots to spread out fast into fresh soil. I always have a pair of pruning shears on standby to trim any spindly or broken roots.
The plant is ready to be put back into its pot after having its roots clipped. Dry or barely moist potting soil sifts most easily in between the roots. I start by adding enough dirt to the pot’s base so that the plant’s stem will rest a half-inch to an inch below the rim. After adjusting the plant’s height, I begin gently adding potting soil to the area between the root ball and the pot, packing it in with my fingertips or a blunt stick as I go. After firming the soil one last time once it has reached the desired level, I add additional if required.
When a plant is healing after root trimming, for a few weeks or longer, watering is crucial. I thoroughly wet the entire container right after pruning. I make sure to properly moisten all the soil at each watering when new growth starts. (Succulents are an exception; even after root cutting, let the soil to completely dry out between waterings.)
In order to limit the plant from becoming larger, the stems must be pruned in order to reduce the number of leaves that the smaller root system must sustain. It’s similar to cutting the grass: trim the tops (and the roots, if you’re root pruning a houseplant) when they get a little bit bigger than intended to a little bit less than desired, let the plant grow again, trim it back again, and so on.
That the plants won’t tolerate this treatment is unfounded. Consider bonsai trees that, according to consistent root and shoot pruning, can still be measured in inches even after 100 or more years.
How can one prevent a plant from getting bigger?
- Trim it. Pruning, or limiting a plant’s development until it reaches a size you’re comfortable with, is the simplest technique to minimize its size.
- Reduce the brightness. A plant will develop more quickly in bright light than in dim light.
- Dividing it
- Change where it is.
- Replace it.
When ought I should prune my houseplants?
The start of the growth season is the ideal time to prune indoor plants. The greatest time to care for most houseplants is in the late winter or early spring, when the days are getting longer and the plants are beginning to awaken. If you decide to prune flowering plants, you might want to do it immediately following a flowering cycle.
Can you use scissors to prune a plant?
In order to improve fruitfulness and growth, pruning is defined as “trimming (a tree, shrub, or bush) by cutting away dead or excessive branches or stems.”
Pruning plants is a task that everyone can perform occasionally, regardless of how experienced they are with plant care or if they are in charge of an indoor jungle. It benefits your plants in a number of ways, including preventing pests and disease, preventing your plants from becoming overly sparse, and allowing your plants to maintain a form and size appropriate for indoor areas. This journal entry will go over how to correctly trim and shape your plants, why it’s crucial, and several methods you can use for both vines and trees to promote deliberate development.
The Basics
Simple gardening shears or scissors and a basic understanding of how plants function are all that are needed to successfully trim and shape your houseplants.
In most circumstances, pruning and removing leaves, stems, and branches doesn’t hurt your plant. In fact, doing this occasionally is beneficial. During their active growing seasons of spring and summer, plants will benefit most from a good trimming. Both vines and trees can benefit from trimming to promote fresh, fuller growth along the plants as well as to remove any dead or yellowing portions. Pruning is one of the finest ways to get control over how your plant is growing, whether you want to maintain a given size, promote branching, or attain a certain aesthetic.
The majority of indoor plants can be cut and pruned, but others, like most palms and tree ferns, require special care. It is possible to remove dead fronds and leaves, but since these plants don’t branch, cutting off the top growth zones will basically destroy the plant.
Pulling Away Yellow or Brown Leaves
The easiest approach to help prevent any unwanted plant pests from settling on your plant is to trim or pluck away any yellowing or dead leaves. These pests are more attracted to decaying or dead leaves than healthy ones, and they are more likely to develop on a suffering plant.
A smart technique to keep your plant looking its best is to remove yellowing or dead leaves. When a leaf begins to yellow, wait until it has turned completely yellow before removing it. A leaf that is about to fall off completely loses all of its chlorophyll (the molecules that give the leaf its green color), and the plant absorbs any nutrients that are still present in the yellowing leaf. There should be no resistance encountered when removing the leaf. You can also remove any leaves that have grown crispy and brown off a stem or branch without hurting your plant.
Seasonal vs. Daily Pruning
When it comes to trimming and pruning indoor plants, several chores should be completed at specific periods of the year. Any significant trimming should ideally be done in the spring or summer while your plants are actively growing and receiving more sunshine. The best time to prune huge amounts of leaves, branches, or anything else that will significantly reduce the size of your plant is now. Generally speaking, you don’t want to remove more than 1/4 of the plant’s total foliage. During the fall and winter, postpone any heavy pruning because your plants won’t be growing as quickly and it may take them longer to put forth new growth or recover from being overpruned. There are, however, some jobs that may be completed quickly at any time of the year. To keep your plants looking healthy throughout the year, remove any yellowing or browning leaves, a few extra stems or vines, or other tiny objects as needed.
Pruning Trees
Indoor trees should occasionally be pruned to help maintain their shape and growth, just like trees that are outdoors. Similarly, it’s a good idea to shape and prune them if they are growing too large for your location. A effective approach to thin out trees is to prune them. This not only enhances its aesthetic appeal but also promotes airflow between the leaves and branches, making the plant overall healthier.
Indoor trees like Dracaenas and Ficus have a tendency to grow vertically, but by pruning the topmost point of development, you can encourage branching. By doing this, you’ll make your plant branch out from the edges of the cut rather than allowing it to grow upward as usual. You can control where and how your plant develops by branching out of this concept, allowing you to shape your tree’s growth to fit your indoor environment.
Pruning Vines
Similar to trees, vines can benefit from routine pruning to prevent them from growing too long and to provide a fuller appearance. Regular pruning is very beneficial for some types of philodendrons and vines like Pothos. In addition to removing dead or yellow leaves, pruning may make most vines appear bushier and fuller. To do this, prune just below a leaf or, every so often, pinch off new growth with your fingers to encourage your plant to grow new vining stems from an old one. This keeps your plant looking full and compact rather than having sparse, solitary vines trailing down a planter.
Propagating with Cuttings
Branches, vines, and stems that you have chopped off from your plants may leave you unsure of what to do with them. You may typically propagate your plant by inserting all of its pieces straight into the ground or water. Most branches and plant cuttings, including those from Sansevieria, ZZ plants, Hoyas, and other species, root easily. You should trim a vine like a Pothos, Philodendron, or Monstera just below a node or aerial root. If you bury this piece in soil or water, water or soil roots will develop and support the cutting as it grows.
With all of this knowledge, perhaps you are well-equipped to prune and trim your plants to maintain their appearance of health and happiness (as well as their actual health and happiness!). Feel free to leave a remark below or stop by one of our stores if you have any questions.