# Trimming Plants?



## KYCox (Jan 19, 2006)

What is the recommended way to trim plants?
Does trimming promote more vigorous growth in stemmed/grassy plants?

I have 3 types of plants right now. One is Micro Sword, the other two im not sure what they are named (Cambodoia? & ?). I was wondering if trimming the tops of the micro will make it send out more runners? 

Be Easy,

KY


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

With stem plants, typically you top them. You can either plant the top and toss the bottom or plant the top and leave the bottoms in which will usually send a couple of new stems from the cut point. 

With rosette plants, like the swords or crypts, you thin them out by uprooting and replanting smaller ones. You can't cut the leaves of these plants because the leaf will simply die.

With grass type plants, like vals or sag's, some folks give them 'haircuts', and say the plants goes on ok. When I had these, giving them haircuts usually resulted in eventual leaf death. Hair grass (lilleopsis), is the one plant that does well with haircuts.

If you haven't already, check out the 'plantfinder' here on the site. If you dont know what your plants are, this could help you trememdously.

HTH.


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## KYCox (Jan 19, 2006)

I appreciate it bert

Be Easy,

KY


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## KYCox (Jan 19, 2006)

If I was to cut a stem plant, and 2 new stems emerged as a result, could i then cut those to get 2 more, and so on? Giving me a tree like result


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

> If I was to cut a stem plant, and 2 new stems emerged as a result, could i then cut those to get 2 more, and so on?


Yes and no. There are some stems that don't like to be topped, others that don't mind it. But you do come to a point of diminishing returns so to speak. Some plants can take several cycles of topping/re-sprouting, others can't. Plus the bottoms get real ratty looking after a couple of such cycles, and you would probably want to pull it out and plant better looking pieces.


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## JaySilverman (Jun 19, 2005)

Which can be a pain because after a few toppings of the stem plants their roots can grow quite deep. Thus pulling out the old stem can cause alot of unwanted muck and bringing up lower leveled substrate to the top.


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## jgc (Jan 30, 2006)

I am sure various plants respond differently to pruning. One method I have read about, but am only starting to use goes like this. When a bunch of stems needs to be thinned, cut the largest stem slightly (an inche ?) or so above the substraite (and repeat till the bunch is the desired thickness). The goal with this trimming is to utilize the stems roots and encourage fresh, bushy, growth.

I have done this with Westeria to get rid of some old beard algae (one the older leaves). I have a few other rapid growing stems that I am planning to use it on.


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## BigChuckP (Oct 8, 2005)

jgc said:


> I am sure various plants respond differently to pruning. One method I have read about, but am only starting to use goes like this. When a bunch of stems needs to be thinned, cut the largest stem slightly (an inche ?) or so above the substraite (and repeat till the bunch is the desired thickness). The goal with this trimming is to utilize the stems roots and encourage fresh, bushy, growth.
> 
> I have done this with Westeria to get rid of some old beard algae (one the older leaves). I have a few other rapid growing stems that I am planning to use it on.


Let me get this straight, I could cut my hornworts largest stem (or maybe even all of them?) an inch or so above the substrate and could I then replant some of the tops?
Thanks.


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