THE PRUNING
plants, in which "eyes" (buds) can form new branches in the lower part of herbaceous or woody shoots, tolerate a pruning. This may become necessary, to bushy, Glutos. h. to maintain well-branched plants from below and to give an attractive appearance again to specimens that have become too large or have become bare in the lower parts.
In the past, some indoor plants such as. B. Cytisus, Fuchsia or myrtle by regularly pruning all shoots into spherical trees or pyramids. Because the free-growing plant in its natural structure corresponds better to today's concept of beauty, such a shape cut is of little importance today.
Pruning with the goal, grow bushy plants, is usually carried out before the start of the new growth period and at the same time as the repotting. This is especially true for fuchsias and pelargoniums, in which a strong pruning promotes the willingness to bloom. Here, the previous year's shoots except for about 5 cm length shortened.
March/April is the right time for pruning for most indoor plants.
When resetting overgrown plants with strong, woody shoots or trunks, the plant loses a considerable part of its organs. In this case, the "drastic" intervention should not be carried out at the same time as the transplanting, since this also entails a disruption of life processes. So e.g. B. large rubber trees repotted and only cut back, when the fresh earth is rooted in the new vessel. Then the plant, which is well supplied with nutrients, is in the best growth potential and quickly develops dormant eyes into side branches, to replace the lost organs.
Every pruning or cleaning of the plants from dried or rotten stem parts is to be carried out with a sharp knife. Make the smoothest possible cut from bottom to top. The smoother it is and the smaller the cut surface, the sooner and better the wounds heal. Use a well sharpened blade to cut thick woody shoots, non-squeezing secateurs.
If possible, you should not do the rejuvenation of tree-like plants by severe pruning yourself. It would also be cheap, if these specimens could be left to the gardener for some time after the intervention. The greenhouse provides the best conditions for this, that the plants quickly develop into a new beauty. It would be desirable, to create such facilities for our flower lovers. In flower shops with decoration departments, who maintain larger stocks of plants themselves for the purpose of lending plants for temporary plant decorations, there are such possibilities.