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Pruning house plants for size and shape

Plant size is one of the most important considerations in pruning house plants and trees, especially bonsai trees.

Limitations from tabletops, ceilings and room sizes indicate the size of what house plants should be. This is important when decorating and using trees and plants as home decor. The solution to the problem of keeping plants to scale is careful pinching and pruning. Pinching encourages bushy growth, whereas pruning reshapes an overgrown plant.

House plant pruning a plants roots is somewhat more drastic, can increase the indoor life of a favorite bonsai plant. Don't throw out or replace ugly plants. A house plant that has grown too leggy, or misshapen is a good choice for reshaping and drastic pruning.

The two most useful pruning tools are your thumb and forefinger and these tools you'll never lose (unless your not very handy with scissors). They can handle most pruning on soft-stemmed plants. Use a sharp knife, scissors, or hand pruners for tougher jobs.

Pruning house plants by pinching

Like preventive medicine, proper use of the pinching technique avoids more drastic pruning measures. Pinching out the growing tip of a stem promotes side branching that creates thick, bushy plants; pinching stops growth in one direction and redirects it.

Using your thumb and forefinger, pinch out the top growth of a stem or branch. This forces side buds lower on the stem to form new branches. The resulting growth helps create a full, well shaped plant.

Pruning house plants this way should be used on fast-growing, branching plants like ivy, wandering Jew, or that contain at least three or four sets of leaves, these are established and can support new growth.

Like pinching, top pruning restores the plant's desired shape. Removing leggy growth or branches grown awry improves the plant's appearance and, as with pinching, may encourage new growth.

Cut stems or branches back to where you want them. Use scissors or pruning shears if the stem is too stiff to be pinched off with thumb and forefinger. Always cut just above a leaf node or bud. Be sure to remove as much of the stem above the node as possible. The node or bud becomes the terminal growing point on the stem, and water and nutrients will travel no farther. The dead or dying stem is useless and could become diseased, endangering your plant.

House Plant Pruning Roots

If a plant has reached the maximum size your room can accommodate, consider root pruning. This process takes courage but, if successful, permits your plant to remain in its present container. You use this method with indoor bonsai trees to keep them small.

It's best to root prune a house plant at the start of active growth, usually in the spring. Have all materials ready so the procedure can be accomplished as quickly as possible. Remove the plant from its pot and with  a sharp knife, trim off portions of the root ball on all sides. Cut quickly; do not saw or hack at roots.

Try washing all the old soil off the roots first. When the root-pruned plant is replaced in its container, there should be about a 1-inch clearance on all sides. Fill in the sides with new potting mix and tamp it in. Water the plant and return it to its place.

House plant Care Tips

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