Q.
We repotted a house plant that was constantly wilting and that seems to help.
Is it possible that the plant is too large and needs a “haircut”?
A.
Potted plants benefit from root pruning as well as top pruning if it is
possible to do so. I guess we could call this a “haircut”. Both the top of the
plant and its roots should be “in balance” with each other. We sometimes refer
to this as a plant’s “root to shoot ratio”.
Not all plants can be root pruned and top
pruned to make them smaller so they perform better in their container. Some
plants will need a larger container. Some plants are made smaller by “dividing”
the plants. Plants that require division are removed from their container and
separating a “clump” of plants into individual plants with a sharp, sanitized
knife or pruning saw. The cut ends are dipped into a fungicide before
replanting.
Some plants require renewal through
propagation. Typically these plants are propagated using methods such as stem cuttings, leaf cuttings, root cuttings or layering. These specialized
propagation techniques are specific to certain plants. The Internet is a good
source of information on propagating interior or houseplants.
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