How to Prune Interior Plants

How to properly prune your indoor plants.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pruning shears

1. 
   Drop Cloth

   Place your plant somewhere in an open area where you can see the entire plant from all sides. Use a drop cloth or an area that you can sweep up. If your plant has been growing outside all summer long, most likely it has grown a lot larger than the plants that you have growing inside.

2. 
   Nodes

   First start by cutting out some of the heavy growth around the inside of the plant. Always cut the plant at the Node. Which is where the leaf or new branch intersect. Cutting the plant in between the nodes can allow for insect infestation or disease susceptibility.

3. 
   Plant Shaping

   On Some of your smaller plants cut the tops back so the under growth can get light. In the winter when there is less light this helps the plants rejuvenate. Vine plants you can cut way back so they can rejuvenate through winter. Shape the plants as you desire with the techniques described above. Water plant conservatively through out the winter. Usually when the soil is dry to the touch.

4. If your plants are growing on a window sill or in small pots they may require a little more water than some of the other plants. Re-pot plants that have outgrown their containers. Re-potting will allow plants to conserve some of the moisture in the soil and let the plant also grow larger.

Tips & Warnings

• Always use clean and sharp pruners for each plant.
• It's always good to fertilize a few times a year.
• Be Careful when using sharp tools.

[PJSandAMovie]

on 11/8/2008 Great tips. :o)