Do you need to trim strawberry leaves in the fall and how to do it correctly? What care do strawberries need after the harvest is complete?

There is no clear answer to the questions - why and when to prune strawberries after harvesting. Gardeners have different opinions on this matter. Some are for it, some are categorically against it. Why trim leaves? Why do this if it seems to be known that the foliage feeds the root? Like, the more foliage, the stronger the bush Yes, this is, of course, correct. But... The harvest has been harvested - get ready for the next one! Sounds like a slogan for a gardener. So, after harvesting, this is preparing the plantation for the new season. And trimming strawberry leaves is one of the stages of this care.

We all love this berry. In the spring, a lot of effort is spent on caring for strawberries before and during flowering, during the period of formation and ripening of the berries. We want more strawberries. So that they are larger, juicier, tastier. So, just after the harvest, you need to make every effort to improve and increase it next year. Strawberries need special care after harvesting. This is the most important time for her and for us.

Why trim mustache on strawberries?

Surely, you already noticed during the harvest that strawberries (strawberries) produce a lot of mustache. Of course, this depends on the variety. Some varieties form a lot of whiskers, some have few, and may even be without any whiskers.

Once you have collected all the berries, carefully inspect the entire plantation. It is necessary to loosen the beds of garden strawberries, weed them from weeds, and remove the mustaches.

Strawberries require whiskers for reproduction. If you do not want to get young rosettes, new plants for propagation, then you need to cut them off immediately after they appear.

Usually there are several tendrils on one bush. We collect them in one bunch and cut them as close to the base of the bush as possible. By the way, this mustache trimming procedure will have to be repeated more than once during the season. If we start it up and don’t do it on time, then the plant will spend all its energy on growing whiskers, rosettes, and the future harvest will receive less. Strawberries will produce fewer flower buds, which means there won’t be many berries, they will become smaller.

Anything unnecessary for the future harvest must be trimmed off.

In addition, this is necessary so that the strawberries do not thicken, since thickened plantings are more difficult to care for.

When to feed and fertilize

Some gardeners do the wrong thing by heavily feeding strawberries before harvesting. This leads to the fact that it is severely affected by gray mold, firstly. Secondly, although the berries become large, they are watery, less sweet, and have a shorter harvest period.

In early spring, before flowering, we apply nitrogen fertilizers. But remember, the main application of fertilizers should be after harvesting. This is feeding complete mineral fertilizer and organics. Many people apply manure to the strawberries. This, of course, is good - manure not only nourishes the plants, but also takes care of the root system of strawberries.

Hilling strawberries

The fact is that strawberries are a perennial berry plant. Over time, it builds up an aerial root system and begins to seem to stick out of the ground. Every year, especially after 3-4 years of growing in one place, we are forced to add mulch, soil, compost, rotted manure into the rows, thus covering the strawberry roots. Mulching helps roots develop well.

Reasons and timing for pruning leaves

The formation of fruit buds in strawberries (garden strawberries) occurs in June (Krasnodar Territory) - July (middle zone) after harvest. It is at this time that the first trimming of the mustache and leaves should be timed.

The fact is that a strawberry leaf lives only 60-70 days - 2-2.5 months. And after that, various spots appear on the leaves - whitish, rusty, red. These are signs of leaf aging and the development of various diseases on them.

That is, you need to trim the leaves of strawberries (strawberries) in order to protect future harvest from diseases.

Trim leaves or tendrils with pruners or scissors. Tools must be sharp. Do not tear them off with your hands - this can damage the root system. Instead of increasing leaf mass, the plant will take a long time to restore its strength.

The process of chlorophyll production stops 2-2.5 months after picking the berries - even healthy plants may have leaves that turn red.

Advice: reddened leaves should be removed to prevent the remaining pests from overwintering peacefully. Treat the plantation with pest repellents. But this should have been done much earlier: the picture was taken in September. There is a danger that young leaves will not have time to grow after pruning - bare bushes may not survive the frosty winter.

So, a month and a half after picking the berries, we inspect the strawberry plantation (garden strawberries) and remove all the leaves with spots and holes, not forgetting to cut off the flower stalks. We leave only young leaves.

When to do this? In Kuban this is the end of June-beginning of July, in middle lane– first half of August. I won’t tell you the exact date – it’s not that important. Most importantly, calculate the timing so that in winter your strawberries leave with young leaves already grown.

How to prune strawberries if the plants are affected by diseases and pests

If the strawberry bushes are affected by mites or there is severe spotting on the leaves, it is necessary to remove all leaves, even young ones. Leaves with signs of disease should be trimmed as close to the base of the bush as possible, since disease spores can persist on the petioles. When pruning, try not to touch the heart of the bush - the plant will be able to recover faster. By doing this pruning, you will not harm the bush, since strawberries grow green mass very quickly. By cutting off old leaves, you will immediately see where you can loosen the ground and where you need to remove weeds.

Of course, removing all the leaves from strawberries will not get rid of all pests and diseases. They will remain on the stumps of leaves and the ground. Simply, such a bed is easier to treat with drugs against diseases and pests. This treatment is more effective.

Now you can feed the “rejuvenated” bed. At this time, as I already said, fruit buds are being laid - the basis of the future harvest, so do not forget to periodically water your strawberries. And if there is no rain, keep the soil moist.

Feeding is required at this time. It is at this time that the strawberries will build up leaf mass, which in winter, covered with snow, will protect the root system from freezing. That is, the more foliage your bushes go into winter with, the better they will overwinter. And from this your harvest will increase.

If during the harvest period you notice berries affected by gray rot, then after fruiting has ended, treat the entire plantation with some kind of fungicide - it could be Topaz or Horus.

Is it possible to mow all strawberry leaves?

Not long ago, walking along my dacha street, I saw that my friends were mowing strawberry leaves with a scythe. Their berry plot is large - several hundred square meters - and they believe they can’t do it without a scythe. At first I thought that this was their way of deciding to get rid of the old strawberries, saying that it was time to start a new plantation. But it turned out that everything was wrong. The owner of the dacha said that they mow down the strawberry leaves every year three to four weeks after the last harvest. But this year, some circumstances prevented them from doing it on time and they mowed in mid-August. According to them, their strawberry harvest is always good, and they get sick less often.

If you have a large plantation and it is older than 3-4 years, then you can follow the example of my friends.

There is another reason for completely cutting off strawberry leaves with a scythe or pruning shears (scissors) - this is severe damage to the plantings by diseases and pests. After completely cutting off (mowing) the leaves, the plantation should be treated with some fungicide or pest control drug. Be sure to feed your strawberry - help it grow leaf mass faster.

There is no need to mow young healthy strawberry plantings; this depletes the bushes and you deprive yourself of the harvest.

How to care for strawberry beds after pruning or mowing

I'll repeat myself a bit, but this is very important.

• Loosen the soil around the bushes.
• Remove weeds.
• Treat the plantation against diseases and pests.
• Feed with mineral and organic fertilizers.
• Water regularly if there is no rain during this period.
• It is very important that the soil in the garden bed is kept moist all the time - this is necessary for the growth of young foliage.

That's all the simple rules. Now you know how and when to prune strawberries ( garden strawberries) after harvest. Good harvest next year is guaranteed for you!

Leaves are the most important organ of a plant. Thanks to them, the orchid receives sunlight and air. It is by these that the condition of the plant is primarily determined. They are the first to signal that something is wrong with the flower. The onset of the disease can be determined by the condition of the leaves. and take action in time.

The life cycle is the alternation of periods of growth and dormancy of a plant, as well as life expectancy. The lifespan of an orchid is from 1 to 5 years. Some varieties live longer.

The rest period has two phases:

• biological;
• forced.

The period of biological rest in different types varies greatly: from 3 weeks to 5 months. At this time the following happens:

1. Growth maturation.
2. Vegetative and flower buds are formed.
3. The flower stores nutrients and prepares for the growth period.

If conditions are unfavorable, then the orchid goes into a stage of forced dormancy. Until conditions become more suitable. The growth period is characterized by increased growth, bud maturation and flowering.

During this period, the plant requires:

• Maximum illumination, but not direct sunlight.
• Sufficient watering.
• Feeding.
• Appropriate air temperature.

Important! Be sure to consider the life cycle of an orchid. Since at different periods it requires different care and conditions.

Does the flower need to be pruned?

Experts disagree. Some allow such pruning, others do not. Some gardeners advise doing this if the orchid does not bloom. If there has been no flowering for more than a year, then the lower leaves are pruned.

It should be remembered that orchid leaves are an important organ. The more there are, the stronger it is and the faster it restores strength. Since through them the flower receives nutrition.

And if the leaves are sick, then you can and should cut them off!

This is necessary in order to:

• reduce the load on the plant;
• to avoid further dissemination diseases or pests.

All details about correct pruning plants you will recognize in.

It is very simple and even a novice gardener can do it. Healthy leaf:

1. green, uniform;
2. elastic (flaccid);
3. there are no stains, cracks, or putrefactive formations on it;
4. the inside must also be healthy and free of pests.

Signs of diseased leaves:

Advice! If at least one of the signs is present, then you should pay attention to the health of the orchid. Such signs serve as a signal of a serious illness.

All further consequences

Two important points:

1. Common and unpleasant consequence– this is an infection and rotting of the cut site. To avoid this, the cut area should be treated with charcoal, ground cinnamon or activated carbon.
2. Weakening of the plant. If an orchid has lost a lot of leaves, it becomes much weaker. Since it receives significantly less power from sunlight. The result may be the death of the plant.

If pruning is done in compliance with all rules, recommendations, and precautions, then the plant is not in danger.

Step-by-step instruction

Preparing tools

For pruning you will need:

• garden pruning shears;
• gloves;
• disinfectant;
• means for processing the cut site.

To disinfect instruments you can use:

• alcohol solution;
• chlorine solution;
• potassium permanganate solution.

Before you start pruning, you need to carefully inspect the plant. If children are found, then it is worth holding off on pruning. The exception is those cases when the flower is sick and such pruning is a matter of life and death.

If no children are found, then you can proceed. Pruning can be done in two ways:

1. Step back about 10 mm from the root and cut the leaf with a sterile instrument. There should be a stump left. If a leaf is diseased, it is not necessary to remove it entirely. It is enough to retreat 10–15 mm from the spot. At the same time, the healthy part is preserved.
2. This method applies to the lower sheets (usually healthy ones). The leaf should be cut along the midline and then torn all the way to the stem. After which the halves need to be carefully torn off from the stem with your hands. After this, the orchid is not watered for several days to avoid rotting.

Pruning should be done with a sterile instrument. After which you can detect: a young aerial root or a released arrow.

Attention! You can trim the leaves of an orchid only after flowering! To do this, wait until the flowers dry out and fall off.

Read about how to prune an orchid after flowering.

The cut area immediately after the cutting area should be carefully powdered with charcoal or ground cinnamon. You can also use crushed activated carbon. This procedure promotes rapid healing of plant wounds. It also prevents bacterial and viral infections from entering the wound.

You will find step-by-step instructions and advice from experienced gardeners on trimming various parts of the orchid in.

What if you had to cut off all the leaves of a plant? The main point here is the cause of leaf damage.

There may be several reasons. This:

1. Improper conditions of detention.
2. Incorrect watering.
3. Diseases (it is necessary to examine the root, the cause may be there).

After finding out the reason, it will become clear what to do next. Once the diagnosis has been made, treatment must begin.. If the orchid cannot be cured (for example, it is affected by rot), then it should be disposed of in order to protect the rest of the plants.

Diseases that damage leaves:

Care

1. First of all, you should pay attention to the roots. If the roots are rotten, then you need to remove the flower from the pot, shake off the soil, dip the roots of the plant in warm water(Prepare a bowl of warm water).
2. Then the roots are dried. Diseased leaves and roots are removed. You will learn how to trim the roots correctly.
3. If part of the root system remains, then such a plant can be planted again in a pot with soil. But now you will have to strictly follow the rules of caring for your orchid.
4. The flower should be placed in the southwest or southeast. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight.
5. The temperature should be 30–33 degrees during the day, 20–25 degrees at night.
6. Avoid drafts.
7. Water the plant very carefully. At first, it is better to limit yourself to spraying the soil.
8. If there are no roots left, the stem can be planted in a pot with damp moss. And try to grow roots.

In this way, the orchid can be brought back to life.

Attention! The main cause of leaf disease is rotting of the root system, which can be caused by disease and excessive watering, as well as unsuitable conditions.

In order to properly care for an orchid, you need not only knowledge, but also experience. You need to take into account many factors, observe, look for information, consult with experienced flower growers. Orchid - capricious and delicate flower, but her beauty is worth the effort.

Video on the topic

Strawberry mustache is the way vegetative propagation, the plant strives with all its might to continue the existence of its kind. Strawberries form tendrils on any type of soil and in any growing conditions, and usually than worse conditions, the more whiskers are formed.

The first strawberries shoot out immediately after the first wave of flowering; there are few of them and they grow quite slowly. The most rapid growth of the mustache begins immediately after the mass ripening of the berries. By the time almost the entire harvest is received, each bush can have at least 5-7 daughter rosettes. Many of them already have a fairly powerful root system.

The problem is that the plant spends energy on procreation; the mother bush gives them a lot of nutrients. The distribution of nutrition is descending - from the mother bush - the first daughter rosettes on the antennae are the strongest, the second are smaller. Although, to a certain extent, this depends on the time of germination - the first rosettes to the mother bush formed earlier.

The second reason why you need to prune strawberries is to thicken the area. The denser the plantation, the worse it is blown by the wind, the longer the very high humidity remains after rains, and the berries are affected by gray rot.

For the same reason, you need to remove old leaves while the bush is growing. Leaves are a source of energy and nutrition, and they also give nutrients to new growth (ripening of horns, ripening). But they gradually turn yellow, the dying foliage becomes covered with fungal spots, and whole colonies of spore-bearing fungi gradually develop on them. The pathogens overwinter on old leaves and next spring there is a new wave of growth.

When to trim strawberry leaves

Leaves should be trimmed not according to calendar dates, but when the need arises - as they age. They begin to turn yellow with the end of fruiting. But if you pay attention, they turn yellow gradually, slowly, over about two weeks. At this time, it is better not to touch the leaves, but continue to feed and water the strawberries - the ripening of future growth and the formation of buds is taking place, invisible to the eye.

Then the leaves turn yellow, dry out, become stained and become useless - this dying foliage needs to be cut out.

Strawberries are usually pruned at the end of July or beginning of August, no later, since after pruning the plants quickly grow new young leaves.

By autumn, the bushes pruned at the end of July had acquired new leaves.

There are no strict days and signs for pruning strawberries - massive yellowing and drying have begun - you can start at any time convenient for you, but dry weather on a not hot day is favorable for the plant (the petioles remaining from pruning should dry out quickly, in wet weather they simply begin to rot from the cut point).

The hemp grower often has to use scissors, to limit the size of the bush or give it one shape or another. However, it also happens that in the box there is enough vertical and horizontal space for free growth, but you still cannot do without pruning and thinning, because your hemp has turned into an invisible green ball of branches and leaves.

Of course, it is better if this situation does not take you by surprise. To do this, before purchasing seeds, do " homework". For example, viewing varieties in our catalog, pay attention to such a criterion as lateral branching. For many varieties this information is indicated.

Another way to tell whether your cannabis will grow as a wide bush or as a single snot is to pay attention to how early the node buds appear at the base of the leaves of your bush. If the plant has barely risen from the ground and has only three or four pairs of leaves, and the nodes have already begun to form, you are probably dealing with what our English-speaking colleagues call a “bush monster”.

Let's also not forget that the shape of the crown also depends on the shape of the pot- hemp grown in narrow, tall pots itself turns out to be narrow and tall; in wide and shallow ones - shorter and bushier.

Why is an abundance of side branches bad?

First, depending on the size of the pot, your cannabis may simply not have enough root mass to support all that abundant greenery, and most importantly, to form decent buds on each of its many branches.

Secondly, you will have a problem providing the lower floors with sufficient light. Although the foliage is partially transparent to visible light, still, as it passes tier after tier, the light loses its intensity, and in addition its spectrum changes. Here red shades begin to predominate, which cause the lower shoots to stretch out. This takes a lot of energy, which is not received by other, more promising parts of the plant.

Thirdly, too much greenery can impair air circulation in the lower parts of the plant and near the stem. During the flowering stage, this can lead to mold and mildew, which will reduce your yield, and in the worst case scenario, leave you with no buds at all.

How to keep crown density under control?

Let's start with the fact that deleting part of the branches will be the right decision in the vast majority of cases. Even when growing hemp in open ground, don’t be lazy and remove two or three pairs of the lowest side shoots. This will ensure good air circulation in the most vulnerable place - near the ground, where there is less sun, the temperature is lower and the humidity is higher. This will be a good prevention of mold development not only in the lower part of the plant, but generally throughout its entire height.

It’s even more important to do this in boxing. No matter how powerful the lamp you use and no matter how free (transparent to light) the crown is, the inflorescences at the top will still receive many times more energy than those at the very bottom. There is a global physical principle at work here - the force of interaction (in this case, light waves) is inversely proportional to the square of the distance. Growers with extensive experience sometimes get excellent harvests, removing lateral growth from the entire lower third of the plant.

Therefore, after waiting until your sprout has gained strength and really started growing, begin to systematically remove the most lower nodes(1-2-3 pairs, depending on the situation). The main thing is not to do everything at once, so as not to stress the plant. This way, you will remove unwanted shoots before energy is wasted on their growth.

The same can be done in the later stages of vega, as well as in the first week or two after switching to color. Graduality is also important here: today there is one lower shoot, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow there is another.

If gradually it doesn’t work out, do more pruning at least a week, and preferably two, before switching to color.

What is better to remove: branches or leaves?

Looking at your huge green lump, you will inevitably think about what to sacrifice, burdocks or branches? One thing can be answered right away - do not touch the upper fan leaves! They may be huge, they may not let light into the lower floors, but they participate in photosynthesis much more actively than older leaves would do, even if they received the same amount of light. Cutting off more effective young foliage to improve the illumination of old ones is an unforgivable mistake.

As for old leaves, everything is somewhat more complicated. In its life cycle, a leaf goes through a certain peak when its energy production (in the form of glucose) is maximum. Then the process goes downhill. Does this mean that after the peak has passed, the leaf is no longer useful and consumes more energy than it produces? Fans of defoliation (pulling off fan leaves) will tell you that it does. It's not a fact that they are right.

The energy accumulated by the leaf does not disappear anywhere. It is sucked out of the old leaf and sent to the young growth. Everyone who has grown marijuana has observed how the leaves turn yellow at the end of the life cycle: first at the very bottom, then higher and higher. It is they who give away nutrients (including nitrogen), and only after giving up every drop, they, already withered, fall off. Especially important role old foliage - as a source of energy and nutrients - plays a role in cases where the pot is small and the root system is not very developed. Essentially, in this case, the old leaves take over the role of the roots in providing nutrients to the above-ground parts. You wouldn't cut off the roots in hopes of increasing the yield, would you? So don’t touch the leaves unnecessarily.

So, when deciding the question (branches or leaves), first take a closer look at the branches. If they are critically far from the lamp, if several upper tiers completely block them from the light, if they stretch upward, forming long internodes, then they only take energy away from the upper parts of the plant and will not produce cones. So you need to get rid of them. Maybe you feel sorry for removing them after the plant has spent so much effort on them? OK, leave it and they will continue to suck it out vitality, but all to no avail.

We dealt with the lower branches. Now: what to do with the middle part of the plant if there is also jungle there? Obviously, you will not touch the primary side branches. The question is, should the fan leaves and secondary shoots (coming from the primary side branches) be removed? If you think that there is stagnation of air here, fraught with mold, then apparently something will have to be removed. Personally, I would remove the shoots again. If you remove the burdock, the crown will become lighter for a day or two, and then this place will be taken by an overgrown secondary shoot, and again the jungle.

There is one more trick. If you think the giant fan leaf is old enough to hinder the development of what's underneath, tuck it under the underlying stem. Now it does not interfere with light, but will continue to serve as a source of energy and nutrition. You can go even further - fold the fan sheet tucked down finger to finger and fasten it with a paper clip or tie it with a thread. That's what I did. The crown becomes noticeably more transparent, but I did not notice any problems.

With that said, defoliation is used by many radical growers. Read these two articles that present defoliation and stress as key points success:

How exactly to trim?

1. Rule one is meaningfulness. Give a clear answer to the question why you are doing this. So that the plant does not waste energy on unpromising branches? So that all promising branches get enough light? So that there are no more branches than the root system can “pull”? So that air does not stagnate in the crown? These are all good reasons.
2. Rule two is gradualism. Plan in advance what you want to remove and spread out the process over time. When a living part of a plant is cut off, a special hormone is produced that inhibits growth. The more you cut at once, the greater the likelihood of stress. Stress can completely stop growth for some time - until the plant recovers. True, the same hormone that stops growth apparently contributes to the swelling of inflorescences. This is probably why it is so widely believed that stress increases productivity. It is important to remember that there is a difference between moderate stress and bullying. By subjecting a plant to torture, you are unlikely to force it to produce a larger harvest.
3. Rule three - when cutting branches or leaves, try to do it in the least traumatic way. There is no agreement here yet. Some advise using the sharpest possible instrument, others believe that the sharper the instrument, the longer the wound will “bleed”, and, on the contrary, advise using dull scissors, which do not so much cut the cells as crush them. If you prefer the first method, you can try covering the wound with honey. If you prefer the second one, then you can do this: soften/break the branch at the site of the intended cut, so that it hangs, but do not cut it right away, but wait a day. During this time, the wound will dry out, and when you cut the branch, the wound will no longer be so susceptible to attacks by various diseases. Whatever method you choose, remember - the instrument must be sterile.

And finally, some tips, how to solve or at least mitigate the problem of excessive density without resorting to pruning:

• Put powerful fan, which will blow through the crown.
• Use a fan to make the top leaves flutter. In this case, more light will slip to the lower tiers.
• Paint the walls of the box with white paint or cover them with reflective material.
• Install an additional ESL lamp to illuminate the lower part of the crown.

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Happy growing everyone!

Over time, many plants take on a sloppy appearance. They do not please, but only depress their owners. To restore decorativeness and rejuvenate plants, pruning is used. Removing and restricting the growth of certain shoots forces plants to develop in a certain shape and direction. For indoor plants pruning is very important because it allows you to maintain balance between the above-ground part of the plant and its root system, the size of which is limited by the size of the pot. In addition, pruning improves appearance plants and stimulates the development of dormant buds, making flowering more abundant. Some plants produce flowers only on young shoots, so pruning is necessary to enhance flowering.

There are several types of pruning: sanitary, rejuvenating and shaping. The purpose of sanitary pruning is to remove weakened old shoots, which often turn out to be easy prey for fungi and bacteria and a breeding ground for insect pests. Rejuvenating pruning is done to stimulate the growth of new young branches to replace old ones. Anti-aging pruning is especially necessary for those plants that develop long shoots that eventually lose leaves. It is also necessary if the shoots are exposed from high temperature or dry air in winter. This often happens, for example, with pelargoniums and hydrangeas. After rejuvenating pruning, many powerful, healthy shoots grow.

When is it necessary to prune indoor plants?

As a rule, pruning is done after a period of dormancy or flowering. It is better not to combine pruning with replanting, as this may slow down the growth of new shoots. Many plants should be pruned annually. Never cut plants at random, and be sure to check the guidelines for each species first. Some plants may not bloom after pruning, while others will grow and become ugly without pruning. Best time for pruning - spring. Pruning is done after a dormant period. Cuts are made above the outward-facing leaves, otherwise new shoots will grow inward. The cut should be made a few millimeters above the bud and go away from it, slightly obliquely.

What rules must be followed when pruning?

For pruning, you need to use sharp and clean tools - pruners, scissors or a knife. For plants with milky sap, the cut area should be carefully burned with a burning match. Large lesions can be sprinkled with crushed charcoal to reduce the risk of infection. It is very important that the cut is smooth, without damaging the bark and cambium underneath, because the growing cambium will cover the wound. Remember that wood is not capable of regeneration, so it must be protected. Plants should be pruned above a bud that faces outward from the crown to prevent branches from growing inward and intertwining. When pruning, moving to a new plant, be sure to disinfect the blade with alcohol, miramistin or other antiseptics.

What is pinching houseplants?

Pinching - pinching off the top of a shoot with your fingers - is used to enhance the branching of very young shoots. They are so gentle that you can do without pruning shears. Pinching is also used to enhance branching, since removal of the apical bud allows the development of lateral shoots. The plant is usually pinched above the first pair of leaves. In order for cuttings or young plants to branch well and not stretch upward, you need to slow down their growth in height by pinching off the tops of the shoots. It should be borne in mind that pinching the apical bud does not immediately lead to the development of lateral shoots. Sometimes this takes quite a long time.

In some plants, flowers form only on young shoots, therefore, to enhance branching and, accordingly, more abundant flowering, pinching is vital for them. Such a plant, for example, is the “Decembrist” - the Schlumbergera cactus. It is recommended to pinch shoots after flowering. You need to select a separation point, hold the lower stem segment between the index finger and thumb of one hand, and separate the upper one with a rotational movement. One or two segments of each stem should be separated in this way. Never cut off segments! As a result, flowering will be more abundant, since strong stems will be formed that can bear more flowers. In addition, a correctly formed Schlumbergera is much lives longer- some specimens bloom and grow for 20 years or more.

How to prune indoor flowers?

It depends on the type of pruning and its purpose. During the process of sanitary pruning, dead and drying shoots and, in general, all unhealthy parts of the plant are cut out. The shoot must be cut down to healthy tissue; if the shoot starts underground, it must be removed to the very base. When rejuvenating pruning, 3-5 buds are left on the shoot. New, strong shoots will later develop from them. Do not spare the pruned branches: the more radical the pruning, the more actively the remaining shoots will grow. It's okay if you remove up to 90% of the shoot length. After rejuvenating pruning, be sure to feed the plant to ensure it has the opportunity to grow quickly. Formative pruning allows you to achieve a specific shape. This way you can get a compact bush, a ball, a standard tree, a pyramid and other more complex shapes. This is the most difficult type of pruning, since each specific plant and each form requires its own order of pruning the shoots.

How to form a compact bush?

Many plants look most attractive and develop best when formed into a compact bush. These plants include Indian Azalea (Azalea indica), Achimenes, Coleus, Impatiens, Beloperone, Browallia, Hibiscus and many others. To form a bush on a young plant, pinch the top of the main shoot at a height of 6-7 cm. After reaching a height of 10-12 cm, side shoots are also pinched. When is it formed beautiful bush, you need to periodically pluck out or cut out shoots directed inward, preferably at the very beginning of their appearance. An example is the azalea. After the first pinching, three shoots are left (they are called shoots of the 1st order), after the 2nd pinching, 2 shoots are left on each shoot of the 1st order, then with subsequent pinchings, the number of shoots left is alternated in this way: 3-2-3- 2, etc.

How to form a standard tree?

In gardening, a tree trunk is called a tree trunk from the ground to the first branch of the crown. In a sense, almost all trees are standard. In a narrower sense, a standard form is an artificially formed (by pruning, grafting) relatively small tree. Many indoor plants, formed as a standard village, look very attractive. It is convenient to focus on the following sizes: a tabletop tree with a height of 30-45 cm, a low tree with a height of 45-80 cm and a standard tree with a height of 80-105 cm. For formation standard tree take a strong rooted cutting that grows vertically upward. Then deleted side shoots until the plant reaches the desired height. When this height is reached, the top of the plant is cut off and 5-6 side shoots are allowed to develop, which will be the top of the standard tree. All leaves at the base of the stem are removed, and then the crown of the desired shape is formed. You can grow roses, pelargoniums, fuchsias in the form of a trunk...

How to form an arc?

Climbing and climbing plants form long shoots that can be sent along a wire arc. In this way you can grow Stephanotis, Passiflora, Bougainvillea glabra, Dipladenia, Jasminum and other plants. To do this, an arched support is carefully inserted into the pot. Then the shoots are distributed over the wire, and in some places they are loosely tied with woolen thread or soft braid.

How to form curly shapes?

Some plants lend themselves easily to shearing or clear pruning. It is produced without taking into account the branches, and this allows you to form almost any shape. There are very few such plants, but they still exist. Among indoor plants, these include evergreen boxwood (Buxus sempervirens), large-fruited cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) and wintering heather (Erica hiemalis).