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 get more shoots after pruning Yucca?

I have cut off the top of my Yucca elephantipes, and after a few months a new shoot comes from the stem. My question is, is it possible to get more than one shoot? And if yes, how to do that? How can I stimulate the plant to have more shoots…
benn
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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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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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Is there a way to curb wisteria growth or to trim it quick and easy?

It is possible to contain growth of Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus) with low votage electric wire. A friend has asked me if something equivalent existed for wisteria. The low voltage wire does NOT work for wisteria. So What else ? Any tricks or tips to…
Anna
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Why does it matter so much in which season to prune?

When I read about pruning the proper season to do it is often specified, and differs between plants. Why should the season matter? Are there actual risks to pruning at the wrong time, or is it just a matter of the time a plant takes to to start…
Aaron Brick
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Why does this sage look different than what is in stores?

Does anyone recognize this variety? Is it normal for sage to have a woody base? Also, could you recommend how to prune it please? It has been abandoned for years. EDIT: Adding close ups. EDIT 2: Adding soil analysis.
ammoun
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Pruning versus girdling

If I were to prune a branch, it would interrupt the flow of auxin in the cambium and release buds below that have been held in stasis (of course there must be cyokinins in the tissues below to release the buds; i.e., the plant is actively growing).…
user13580
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How to prune lantana plant back to life

I have a slow dieing lantana plant which even with re-potting dropped all leaves and I basically put it under sun with no water to die...few days back as I was doing regular checkup on my balcony garden to my surprise I saw new baby leaf coming out…
asadz
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Fiddle Leaf Tree: does radical pruning make sense?

Last year our Fiddle Leaf Tree lost many of its leaves due to overwatering. You can see that the three top branches only have leaves on their ends: To give the tree a nicer shape, we want to cut all the three top branches (marked on the image). Do…
roman-roman
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Can I coppice a cedar hedge

I have a 12' high cedar hedge. Unfortunately it is 8' wide. I have a narrow back yard, so would like it to be only 3' wide. Do I need to start again from seedlings, or is it possible to coppice the individual trees? If so, then would it be…
foolishmuse
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Pruning October Glory Maple

How to prune a October Glory Maple to have shorter hight and wider width.
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Air pruning versus oxygenating

I read about how air pruning can help your roots, because it stops the roots from growing when they reach the edge of the pot. I also read that roots need oxygen in their soil, in order to breath. Can someone give me an explanation as to why in…
NL3294
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The Forsythia bush that ate New York

I have a Forsythia bush that over the last 16 years has swallowed up about 25% of my yard. It has not yet started to demand blood feedings. I think its plan is to take over the whole town and then run for Congress. What is the procedure for…
Andre Lenotre
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Cutting Back Leggy French Lavender

Seattle I've got a whole string of french lavenders that I've sort of 'trained' to be sort of like short hedges. Unfortunately, they've fought back by getting woody and leggy. How hard can I/should I cut them back to re-shape them…
jchwebdev
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Do I cut top of new mimosa tree?

We planted a mimosa tree in February- March 2023. It was fairly small. started off really good. Then leaves started to turn yellow then brownish. It seemed to not be growing much. Then recently the leaves came back. The bottom part of truck started…
PFolse
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