Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Need Some Advice How Best to Cut, Replant, 1 by Clare_CA

Clare_CA wrote:
Hi JP, I'm no expert, but I would not cut them both at the same time as you may rob yourself of flowers for one season from this plant. I'm not sure when the growing season starts for you if it ever even ends, but I would wait until the start of the growing season and do the tallest one first. That will give your shorter greener one time to put on a bit more growth so that you can root the cutting that you cut.

You always want to have a few nodes left from the trunk so that new branches can sprout. Count and make sure before you cut that you have several nodes left on the cut piece. If you cut too close to the trunk, the remaining portion may die back to the main stem. If you do want to eliminate the lower branch altogether, then you can cut it off at its base at the trunk. It just depends upon what look you are going for.

For the fullest plant possible, I would trim like this if I were going to trim, but be sure that there are nodes left before you cut. I would make sure that the cuttings are going to be at least 8-12 inches so that you won't have trouble rooting them.