Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Yardening Fall 2013 Part 2, 1 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
Teri--
I have had my "Plume" since 2006. The first record I have of it blooming is 2007.

Throughout those years--It has been cut back several times so i can grow
new ones to share.
One late summer--wind blew it over and it fell off of the table (outside) and
broke of every stem on it. It was late in fall. This was, maybe, 4-5 yrs. ago.
I didn't know what to do with all the stems. so I trimmed them back a bit
and stuck them all back in the pot all around the edges.
By next spring--they had all rooted! This was my "AHA!!!" moment.

Last fall--before bringing it in--I cut it back back all the stems--except one.
I cut them back pretty low.
The "one" was a new shoot that had grown straight up out of the center
of the plant. I decided to just leave that be.

The Braz. Plume re-grew royally! And so, I had plenty rooted cuttings
to share at the spring swap.

I attach a picture I just took to show you what it looks like again.
I may, very well, cut it back again before bringing it in (asap)--not so much to have more
cuttings but because it is now so big.

SO--Teri--my advice is to go ahead and cut back all the stems to any point you like.
I would not just cut back the tips. Go low--and it will bush out for you next year.
Trim your cuttings to about 4" or so and stick them in a small pot in fresh
MIX (not soil). They root very well. No hormone is needed.

I DO NOT root anything in water!!!. Everything goes directly in Pro Mix.
Water-rooting is conductive to slime and mold developing. Death of the cutting!!

I bet all the in-between stems you will be cutting out would also root. Look for the nodes!
Next year--you may have enough new plants to plant them out in a bed somewhere..
Wouldn't that look pretty?

Here is the picture I just took. It has re-grown into a large plant, once again,
and is blooming. The pot iti is in is a 12" pot.
I bet you, in its native land, it is a shrub! Gita