How to prune: where to cut
Pruning answers two different questions that beginners often mix up: removing dead or damaged growth, which you can do any time, and shaping living growth to make a plant bushier, which belongs in active growth.
The single most important fact is the node: the joint where a leaf or leaf scar meets the stem is where dormant buds sit. Cut just above a node and the plant branches from there; cut in the bare stretch between nodes and you leave a stub that simply dies back.
General beginner information only — not a substitute for advice from your local agricultural extension service. For edible plants, use only a product that is labelled for that particular edible crop, for indoor use, and follow any harvest interval on its label; try non-chemical steps first, and never use a product that is not labelled for indoor use on that plant.
Checklist to diagnose
- What are you removing — dead or damaged growth, or living growth you want to shape?
- Can you find the nodes on each stem you plan to cut — the swollen joint where a leaf or leaf scar meets the stem?
- Is the plant actively growing, or dormant and in low light?
- How much of the plant would you remove — and would that leave enough healthy foliage to support it?
- Are your blades clean and sharp, and have they been cleaned between plants?
Rescue steps
- Remove dead leaves, stems, and flowers first, any time of year; cut back to healthy tissue.
- For shaping, prune while the plant is actively growing, usually in spring or early summer, and take only a small part at a time, leaving most healthy foliage in place.
- Cut just above an outward-facing node, leaving the node itself on the plant; for soft growth you can pinch the tip off with your fingers instead of cutting.
- Work around the plant for balance rather than cutting one side hard, and step back to look at the shape as you go.
- Clean blades between plants — wiping with rubbing alcohol is the usual extension advice — so you do not carry disease from one plant to the next.
- Do not top a plant that grows from a single growing point, such as a palm: cutting its tip will not make it branch and can kill it. Remove only dead leaves from such plants.
When to give up
- Pruning will not save a plant whose roots are rotted or whose stems are soft and collapsing — fix the roots first.
- If you have already removed a large share of the plant and it shows no new buds at the cut nodes, wait until the plant has regrown strongly before cutting again.
Plants on this site
These plant guides on this site already mention this problem: