Pinching flowers. When and how to prune petunias? Can this plant be trimmed?

Each grower wants his favorite indoor flowers to have a beautiful shape and look well-groomed and aesthetically pleasing. Thanks to this, the plants fit perfectly into the home interior, complementing it with an unusual and much-desired zest.

The formation of the crown of the plant can significantly help in achieving this goal. However, this is not an entirely easy task, as some flowers can be cut off, while others will be harmed. In addition, you need to know how and when it is better to start forming a green "pet". Therefore, having learned all the subtleties of this difficult, but important procedure, you can provide real care and care for your pets.

Why you need to form a crown of indoor flowers

Among the main goals of plant formation are:

The main methods of forming the crown of indoor plants are pruning, pinching, pinching and garter.

Pruning houseplants

Pruning is a reduction in the size of a plant by removing sprouts and branches. With proper pruning, you can achieve the following goals:

When is the best time to prune? The most suitable time is the time after the period of dormancy or flowering. If we talk about the time of year - spring. Pruning is best done some time after transplantation, when the plant is already accustomed to new conditions. Otherwise, its growth may slow down.

Some types of indoor flowers need to be cut every year, others - every few years.. You can not carry out the procedure at random, because in this way you can cause significant harm to the plant. Some "pets" may not bloom at all, while others may eventually acquire an ugly shape. Before pruning, you must read the recommendations for each species separately.

It is correct to make a cut above the leaf pointing outward. Otherwise, the shoot will grow inward.

The cut is made a few millimeters above the kidney, slightly obliquely. Mostly weak shoots and inward-directed crowns are removed. The main, powerful shoots can be shortened by 1/3.

For the procedure, clean and very sharp objects are used - a knife, pruner or blade. It is important that the cut is smooth. If the damage is large enough, it can be sprinkled with crushed charcoal so that the plant does not get sick. If several plants are pruned, then before each new one, it is necessary to disinfect the blade, for example, with alcohol.

Depending on the goals, pruning is divided into:

• sanitary;
• anti-aging;
• Formative;
• Pruning for flowering.

Sanitary pruning

It is often impossible to do without sanitary pruning. When yellow, dry leaves and shoots affected by diseases or pests appear on the plant, they must be removed as soon as possible.

This need is due to the fact that the weakened parts of the plant are a tasty place for. Therefore, in order to prevent fungi, bacteria and pests from moving to healthy shoots and leaves, it is necessary to carry out sanitary pruning in a timely manner.

The basic rule in this is to quickly and completely remove all affected, aged parts of the flower.

In this case, the shoot is cut back to healthy tissue, and if it goes into the ground, to its base. Dried leaf tips, such as those of dracaena and palm trees, are important to trim regularly.

At the same time, a small dry strip is left - the healthy part of the leaf remains intact. If you cut off a live leaf, a dried strip will still form at the end and the process will continue. In addition, the risk of infection with fungal diseases increases.

This article is often read:

Anti-aging pruning

Some plants, especially those that grow slowly, can do without rejuvenation. But most indoor green "friends" still have to be cut for this purpose. For example, these are flowers that quickly stretch out with a lack of light. Plants with long shoots are especially in need of this type of pruning.

Over time, due to lack of light, too high temperature or insufficient air humidity, their leaves at the base dry out and fall off. And the flower takes on an unattractive appearance. This is, for example, . Their lower part is quickly exposed, and the only way to keep a well-groomed and attractive appearance is to cut them regularly and thoroughly.

Anti-aging pruning is best done in the spring before the start of the growth period. or shortly after it or in the fall, when the plant is at rest (you can read more about the life phases of indoor plants).

Shoots are cut almost to the ground. It is important that 2-4 live buds remain on the "stump". Only 10-15% of the entire flower may remain.

However, the more thorough the pruning, the more intensively new shoots will grow. If it's hard to decide to cut the whole plant at once, you can do it in 2 stages. First, half of the shoots are cut off. And when new ones grow from them, the remaining half is sheared.

After rejuvenating pruning, the flower needs to be fed, because it will have intensive growth.

Watering at this time is slightly reduced, because the shortened upper part does not need a lot of moisture. The pot is best placed in partial shade, away from direct sunlight. After such pruning, the flower produces many healthy, strong shoots and acquires a luxurious appearance.

Formative pruning

It is one of the most difficult. Its purpose is to give the plant the desired shape. Especially vigorous and branchy green "pets" need it. For example, crown formation is necessary for,. You need to be creative with shaping pruning, observing the plant and finding out which shape will be most suitable for it.

It is important to choose the right place for the cut. So that the branch grows horizontally, it is necessary that the last bud remaining after pruning is directed down or out of the crown. For vertical growth, on the contrary, the kidney should “look” up or towards the center. It is also important to know exactly which shoots need to be cut to obtain the desired shape. Depending on the desire of the grower and the type of flower, using pruning, you can get the following forms:

Pruning for flowering

Sometimes flower pruning is carried out in order to ensure the flowering process or make it more abundant - this is flowering pruning. To carry out such a haircut, it is important to know the characteristics of each type of plant. For example, at what time of the year the green “friend” will please with buds, on what shoots they appear: young or old.

As a rule, in plants that bloom in summer, pruning for flowering coincides with the spring forming pruning.. Different species that bloom several times a year need two pruning: in spring and after flowering.

Interestingly, in most plants, flower buds are formed only on annual shoots. These are pelargonium, passionflower, citrus fruits. Therefore, without pruning, they may simply not bloom. The optimal time for cutting is in the spring before the start of the growth period. If the process is delayed, the shoots will not have time to grow enough, and the buds will not appear.

Pinching indoor plants

What is pinching plants is the removal of a bud from the end of a shoot (pinching). Its goal is the formation of a beautiful bushy plant and crown rejuvenation. The procedure is carried out with hands, scissors or a knife after transplantation and the beginning of growth. Consider how to pinch indoor plants in detail.

To form the desired bush, it is necessary to pinch off the top of the main shoot, which has reached a height of 6-7 cm. When the new side shoots grow to 15-20 cm, they also need to be pinched.

The result is a thick, curly bush. But it also needs to be shaped. Periodically, you need to remove weak shoots and those that grow inward.

It is important to know that due to pinching, the flowering process may be delayed or not start at all. Therefore, when the plant acquires the desired shape, pinching must be stopped.

This procedure is important for pelargonium, myrtle, heliotrope, fuchsia, room rose.

Some plants are not recommended for pinching. Among them are scindapsus, ceropegia, asparagus.

Basically, thanks to pinching, bonsai, which are widely popular today, can be formed. For this, myrtle, or fuchsia, is better suited. It is important to pay attention to the plant variety: only bush varieties are suitable for bonsai, a tree will not form from ampelous ones.

Pasynkovanie indoor flowers

Pasynkovanie is the removal of excess offspring or stepchildren. It is carried out mainly in flowering plants.

Basically, the appearance of stepchildren is observed in rosette flowers in the axils of the leaves of the main shoot.

Sometimes the presence of such "children" does not affect the development and growth of the plant. However removal of stepchildren promotes abundant flowering, larger flowers may appear.

Remote offspring can be used for reproduction. Saintpaulia is an example of a plant that needs pinching.

Garter and support for indoor flowers

The garter and support are necessary in order to give the flower stability and contribute to a more decorative look. In particular, these methods are used for plants with a weak stem.

Different types of ampelous and vines especially need a garter. To do this, use braid, ribbon, woolen thread.

For larger plants, wrapped wire is used. It is necessary to tie up very carefully so as not to damage the plant.

For some flowers, directing and fixing shoots in a certain position stimulates flowering..

So, if you direct the shoot down and bend it, then soon you can expect the appearance of buds.

Knowing all the subtleties of the formation of the crown of indoor plants, you can provide truly professional care for your favorite green "pets"!

Formation of the crown of fruit trees in the garden

Thanks to a properly formed crown during the first 3-4 years of life, the tree will be able to grow well and bear fruit abundantly.

First year

Annual trees after planting in the ground need to trim the top to form a lush crown. Pruning of apple trees is recommended at a height of 80-90 cm from the ground, and pear - 90-100 cm.

All lateral branches on the trunk (parts of the trunk from the surface of the earth to the lower skeletal branch) are cut out. Varieties with a spreading crown are cut higher, and pyramidal ones are cut lower. If annual seedlings have several branches, they are shortened so that 2-3 buds remain on each.

All blossoming buds and young twigs starting to grow on the trunk should be removed. up to a height of 60 cm from the ground surface. Otherwise, the rate of growth and development of the crown is significantly reduced. It is necessary to leave shoots that are close to horizontal and evenly distributed in space.

Depending on the quality of the seedling and the degree of care for it, from 3 to 5 young branches appear on the tree. These young shoots need to be given a more horizontal position, increasing the departure angles to 60-80 degrees. To do this, in May - June, soft shoots, 5-20 cm long, are bent with ordinary clothespins. Lateral shoots longer than 70 cm are shortened by 1/3 so that they do not become bare.

Second year

During the beginning of sap flow, it is necessary to remove all shoots on the stem, competitors of the conductor, or in other words, shoots that have grown from lateral buds adjacent to the apical ones, as well as branches that have formed sharp corners of discharge. Pruning of fast growing trees is recommended in May.

In seedlings with a strong conductor, reaching a length of more than 60 cm, it can be replaced with a weaker lateral shoot (competitor), having a length of about 40 cm.

The conductor is a part of the trunk from the first lower branch to the top of the tree. The conductor, which has lost its vertical position, is cut off so that 2-4 kidneys remain on it. In the future, from the overgrown shoots, one is selected that is most suitable for the formation of a new conductor.

So that the conductor does not deviate from the vertical, all buds, flowers and ovaries should be removed from it.

Shoots should be shortened very carefully, because due to improper pruning, the crown can become very thick. Lateral shoots of fast-growing varieties with a pyramidal crown are repeatedly bent to a position close to horizontal. In seedlings with weak growth and weakly branching varieties, the tops of last year's growth are cut off to stimulate branching.

In the summer, you should repeat the bending of the shoots. At the end of June, the conductor is shortened again, vigorous shoots growing vertically at the top of the crown are removed. For apple trees of early-growing varieties, it is important to cut off flowers and ovaries on the central conductor and make sure that thin branches do not break off under the weight of the fruit.

Third and fourth year

The formation of young trees is carried out in the same way as in the second year. In this case, the conductor must reach a height of 2-2.5 meters, and the crown is maintained in a conical shape. The lower branches can grow until they fill the space allotted for the tree.

If the crown is thickened, thinning is carried out. At the same time, low-growing branches are cut at the beginning to increase the height of the bole. It is important to remove branches that grow vertically, do not bend back and disturb the balance of the tree. At the top of the crown, all conductor competitors and shoots that have sharp corners of departure are removed.

By the fourth year, the active formation of the crown is practically over.. The size and shape of trees is maintained according to a specific planting pattern. It is important to know that one-year growths should not be shortened, as this will activate growth processes.

Long branches that go beyond the allotted space are shortened. An important role in the further formation of the crown is played by its clarification, which is carried out, for example, by removing vertical shoots.

Pruning fruit trees and plants

Successful growth and development of fruit trees is impossible without annual renewal pruning, which is carried out by cutting 2-3-year-old branches into a replacement oblique knot. When the tree reaches a height of 2.5 meters, the conductor is removed and replaced by a competitor. Strong shoots at the top of the crown are removed at the end of summer or in the spring of the following year.

With the active growth of the tree last year, pruning dates are often postponed to the growing season. If necessary, root pruning can be carried out.

Pruning timing. Weak varieties of fruit trees are recommended to be pruned during the dormant period.

At this time, the active processes of growth and development practically cease, and most of the nutrients move to the trunk, skeletal branches and roots.

Trimming methods. Among the main methods of trimming, shortening and thinning are distinguished.

The purpose of pruning, or pruning, is to prevent overgrowth of branches. At the same time, the upper part of the branch is cut off. Due to this, the kidneys located below the pruning site “wake up”. Pruning makes the crown more lush, stimulating the emergence of new shoots and improving the growth of fruit formations. As a rule, shortening pruning is carried out at a young age during the formation of the tree crown.

The cut is made so that the upper remaining kidney "looks" outward.. If the twig deviates to the side or down, it shortens above the bud, which will give rise to a shoot growing in the desired vertical direction. The competitor of the conductor is completely removed. The pruning of the central conductor is carried out so that it rises 15-20 cm above the crown.

Thanks to thinning pruning, excessive thickening of the crown is eliminated. Extra branches are removed completely, from the beginning of their growth. Competitors, branches growing vertically and directed down or to the center of the crown are subject to pruning.

Thanks to thinning, the crown is better ventilated and illuminated by the sun, less exposed to diseases caused by high humidity.

Petunia has long occupied a leading position as one of the most decorative garden crops. And the fact that ampelous petunias grow beautifully in pots and, with proper care, bloom the next year, made the petunia an even more welcome guest for our gardens, balconies and apartments.

However, you can easily notice that in some flower beds, petunias produce several flowers, and look rather poor, and on neighboring flowers they simply pour like a waterfall along long green shoots. What is the secret to the abundant flowering of petunias?

Everything is very simple - it's a matter of correct pinching. If you remove part of the shoots, and know how to do it, your beauty will bloom gorgeously all season.

Pinching a petunia is an optional procedure. The plant will continue to grow and bloom. Another thing is quality. If you want to have a luxuriously flowering and pleasing bush, and not just a long stem with leaves that falls under the weight of buds, then you need to do pinching. If you do not remove the side shoots, the plant will inevitably go up, and with such growth, it will not be up to the formation of flowers. Therefore, the path to a chic flowering petunia lies through pinching. Each cut stem will provoke the appearance of more and more buds. And shoots with flowers will become even stronger and thicker.

When to pinch

The first rule is timing. The first time a petunia needs to be pinned is at the seedling stage, before you are going to plant it in the garden. As soon as 4-5 leaves have formed on your flower, feel free to pinch off the top of it. Thus, you will help your plant grow a powerful root system, and it will transfer planting in open ground without any problems.

The second time the petunia is pinched after you have planted the flower in open ground. Give it about a week (maximum ten days) to get used to and grow back after transplanting, and a second pinching can be done. By this time, several stems are already forming on the petunia, and each of them should be pinched.

The second rule is to choose the right place for pinching. As soon as your little seedling begins to stretch, you need to count five leaves from the bottom, and cut off the top shoot. It is this procedure that will ensure that the plant does not grow up, but to the sides, and more and more flowers form on the side shoots.

Do not over-tighten with pinching the petunia, otherwise the bush will not be able to properly form and become beautiful.

How to pinch a petunia

The bush that you are going to pinch must be plump and healthy, with a strong trunk. Cut off the top of the petunia with very sharp little nail scissors or a small, thin knife. Otherwise, the flower may die.

At the same time, at least three leaves must remain on the stem.

When you've plucked off the tops of the plants, don't throw them away. They are good for breeding. You just need to remove the leaves from them and put them in water. After a few days, the cuttings will sprout, and they can be rooted next to the mother plant, giving your flower bed even more pomp.

You can root the tops of petunias immediately in the ground, but they will take longer to take root. And cuttings with roots will grow almost immediately.

Does pinching affect flowering time?

Pinching is always a kind of shock for the plant. And the flower must survive this shock. Therefore, those bushes that you pinch will bloom later by about two weeks. But they will have much larger flowers, much more buds will develop, and the petunia will bloom not only more abundantly, but also longer. If you want to have lush, chic flowering petunias, be sure to pinch your bushes.

First of all, you need to cut off the middle, main shoot. And after that, cut off the side shoots, depending on the speed of their growth.

Be sure to keep in mind that faded petunia flowers should be removed. Moreover, it is necessary not only to tear off the flower itself, but also to pinch off the leg on which it is attached to the stem. Then you will have many flowers on the bush.

How often do you need to pinch

You need to pinch the bushes only when they are actively growing. Therefore, if your petunia does not feel very well, has not adapted, and looks weak, do not rush to touch it. Let the plant come to its senses, get stronger and begin to shoot. Then you can pinch it.

Pinching even healthy plants does not need to be done more than once a month. It is important not to overdo it, otherwise the flowers will hurt.

If your bush, after abundant flowering, began to age, it's okay. Trim the petunia as short as possible, it will do her good. After that, loosen the ground, fertilize, and in ten days you will be able to admire the gorgeous flowering of your beauty.

Features of pinching for petunias in pots

As you know, petunias can be grown both in open ground and in pots. And if in the open field pinching is still more of a recommendation to ensure that your petunia is gorgeous in color, then for plants grown in pots, pinching is necessary. For potted petunias, the stems must be shortened without fail, otherwise the flowers will not appear on the shoots at all.

For petunias in pots, you need to pinch the seedling for the first time even during seedlings. For a pot, you need to immediately achieve a beautiful view of the bush. After the seedling has been placed in a pot, it must also be pinned down. After the petunia has overwintered in a pot (this flower does not hibernate in the open field), it should also be pinched. And then the cutting of the stems should already be done as necessary, depending on their growth.

To ensure the harmonious development of many vegetable crops and other garden plants, it is important to pinch them.

Some novice gardeners often ask themselves the question: what is pinching plants, how to properly carry it out and why you need to do this process.

This article will describe the intricacies of pinching various types and indicate the timing that should be followed to get a rich harvest.

Experts call pinching or tweezing the careful cutting of some shoots and the formed buds at the tips of the branches. To carry out this process, you can use any tool with sharp edges that the gardener has at hand.

You can do without a tool: it is quite possible to pinch off the stepchildren with the help of your fingertips. Thus, pinching is carried out in two main ways: cutting off and breaking off the top of the shoot.

• to stimulate the harmonious development and rapid growth of side shoots;
• to improve the branching process of the main stem;
• to increase productivity;
• to ensure abundant flowering.

Taking into account the above procedures, every gardener will appreciate the importance of its regular implementation.

Early pinching will make the bush more compact and lush, but will push back the flowering process. In some cases, early pinching helps to reduce the size of the corollas of the plant.

And certain types of flowers that have been pinched early may not have time to bloom by the end of the season. Among these, it should be noted: dahlias, Septembers and chrysanthemums.

Carrying out the procedure in the first half of the season, which, according to experts, falls on the phase of active vegetation of plants, helps to accelerate the tillering process. Pinching trees and bushes at this time activates the development of fruitful shoots and inhibits growth in height.

At the very end of summer, the pinching of many vegetable crops, combined with the competent minimization of fertilizers, improves the quality and quantity of ripening fruits.

In northern regions with a temperate climate, later may cause:

• untimely growth;
• lignification delay;
• deterioration of wintering (raspberries, various grape varieties);

Given the above negative factors of the late process, it is important to know that sometimes the wrong tweezing can be dangerous for the plant.

For which plant species is tweezing indicated?

Pinching with special tools

Pinching is considered a useful procedure for the following vegetable crops:

Brussels sprouts are a classic example of a plant that needs to be pinned down. After the appearance of the first rudiments of future cabbages, it is important to cut off their tops.

Tomatoes need growth restriction. Approximately 30 days before the end of the growing season, it is necessary to carefully cut off the tops of the shoots. Similar procedures are carried out with bell peppers, physalis and eggplant.

Melon bushes are pinched three times during one season. For the first time, the top is cut off above the 4th leaf, then the procedure is repeated with each new, newly grown shoot, and for the third time, tweezing is carried out at the very end of the growing season to improve the nutrition process of the ripening ovaries.

At the beginning of the season, it is unnecessary to pinch watermelons. Pinching should be carried out in the middle of the growing season, when a large number of ovaries have formed.

When growing cucumbers in greenhouses, gardeners often cut the plant's stem when it grows too long. The tops of the shoots are pinched in case of poor light intake and malnutrition.

Pinching pumpkins and zucchini is carried out at a time when several ovaries have formed. At the regrown branches, the top is pinched off when a fruit appears, over which several leaves grow.

It is necessary to remove the tops of the beans at the moment when they grow to the edge of the trellis. Picking contributes to the proper ripening of fruits, especially in regions with cool summers.

Basil tweezing is advised to be carried out at the very beginning of the growing season to form lush plant bushes.

Growing the above crops, the gardener must remember the need for regular pinching.

If this process is ignored, the harvest may turn out to be poor, and the quality of the fruit may be unsatisfactory.

Pinching annuals and perennials

Pinching annual plants is carried out without fear for their winter hardiness. Tweezing will give them splendor, beauty and special attractiveness.

When carrying out the process, it is necessary to take into account the fact that after it the plant may begin to bloom later than the due date and the seeds may not have time to ripen by the end of the growing season.

When pinching perennial flowers, you should be especially careful with late flowering plants. After the procedure, as a rule, there is an increased growth of lateral shoots, which may contribute to the lack of the necessary nutrition necessary for abundant flowering.

Shrubs pinch in mid or late spring. Tweezing will help correct their shape, make it more compact and well-groomed. And by winter, young twigs become woody enough.

Timely tweezing of fruit trees will help form the correct crown shape and contribute to the transformation of growth branches into fruit-bearing ones.

In regions with a warm climate, summer pinching of berry varieties allows the formation of beautiful, well-branched fruit-bearing bushes. And in areas with a temperate climate near berry bushes after the procedure, the woody layer does not ripen well, which can worsen the wintering of the plant.

The main methods of shaping the appearance of a plant include pruning, pinching, pinching and tying to a support or trellis. Each procedure has its purpose.

crown pruning

Pruning is very important for plants, because it allows you to maintain a balance between the above-ground part of the plant and its root system. When forming a crown by pruning, it is necessary not only to give the plant a beautiful appearance, but also to achieve a uniform supply of nutrients to all branches of the plant, in addition, the plant must be accessible to light and air from all sides.

Some plants (laurels, myrtle, biota, boxwood, etc.) withstand pruning to give them a wide variety of shapes, such as a ball, pyramid, etc.
To obtain a standard form, all side shoots are removed from the plant, and when the shoot intended for removing the stem reaches the desired height, its top is pinched. This will cause side shoots to emerge from the axils of the leaves, the tops of which are also pinched, and this is done 2-3 times until the crown branches well enough. Roses, pelargoniums, fuchsias, etc. are grown in standard form.

Pruning is carried out annually in the spring, after transplantation. The shoots are cut above the bud facing outward. In this case, the cutting above the kidney should not remain, but the kidney should not be damaged. Pruning is carried out with secateurs, sharp scissors or a knife.

Strong pruning is also used to rejuvenate the plant (pelargonium, fuchsia, hydrangea, etc.). At the same time, almost the entire crown is removed, leaving only short shoots with 2-3 buds. When pruning, you should consider where the buds should form - on old or young shoots. Plants in which flowers form on new summer shoots are pruned in the spring, before growth begins.

By the way: not always pinching the apical bud immediately leads to the development of lateral shoots, sometimes it takes quite a long time. For example, once in May, I pinched the apical buds of two lateral shoots on the euonymus, and branches, these shoots began only in July, all this time other, not pinched shoots grew.

Forming plants with wire

This technique is used not only to create bonsai, but also for ordinary shrubs or miniature trees grown at home. Wire forming can be done in two ways:

• wind the wire around the branch in a spiral
• make a loop and bend the branch in the right direction

The method depends on the goal - if you need to straighten a crooked branch or take it to the side, then we use the winding, if you just lower it down, then just pull it (in the second photo, the right branch is directed down, the wire is attached to the edge of the pot). By the way, if you bend the branch down strongly, so that the crown of the shoot looks towards the window sill, then after a while the buds or one bud, located closer to the base of the trunk, awaken on this branch, i.e., a new shoot appears at the bottom of the branch. This technique is used to force the plant to branch.

If you want to use wire wrapping, then keep in mind that branches with thin, vulnerable bark must first be wrapped with soft electrical tape so as not to injure the plant. In addition, it is unnecessary to impose coils very tightly, because the branches grow not only in length, but also in thickness. If you do not leave a margin, the wire will grow into the bark and leave a scar (photo below).

Before laying wire on densely leafy shoots, you need to rid them of small twigs and leaves in order to better see the skeleton of a tree or shrub. Do not think that they will remain bald, over time they will grow even more.

Pinching (pinching)

Pinching, or tweezing, consists in removing the apical bud - it is removed by hand or cut off with scissors or a knife. This causes the development of side shoots. Plants are pinched after transplanting, when they take root and begin to grow. It should be borne in mind that pinching and pruning delay the beginning of flowering, therefore, after the plants get the desired shape or bushiness, pinching is stopped. Pinching or light pruning in August of strong branches with flower buds improves the quality of the flowers.

Many plants are pruned after flowering (acacia, hydrangea, etc.). Plants that become very bald over the winter in warm conditions (for example, fuchsia) are pruned in the spring with the start of new growth. At the same time, dry, weak and extra branches are cut. Good strong stems are shortened by about half.

In passionflower, after flowering, all flower-bearing shoots are cut off almost to the base, and in the fall, in addition, all non-lignified shoots are cut off. In the spring, the lower shoots of passionflower are cut off so that all the juices are sent to the upper, blooming shoots. But in hoya (wax ivy), on the contrary, flower-bearing shoots are not cut off, because. they are capable of producing new flowers.

pasynkovanie

Pasynkovanie - a technique consisting in the removal of excess lateral shoots (stepchildren). It is mainly used for ornamental flowering plants. Remove non-flowering or poorly flowering side shoots. This technique contributes to more abundant flowering and larger flowers. Stepping is also required on ampelous plants, such as fuchsia, especially when the shoots are not tied up to the support, but hang freely. At the same time, strong branching occurs from one stem, and if some of these branches are not removed, the stems become heavy and can break off. And, besides, not stepchildren, strongly branching shoots quickly become bare at the base, this happens not only in fuchsias, but also in tradescantia, hoya, and hypocyrts.

In addition to ampelous, all indoor flowers, which tend to grow a dense, shapeless crown, need pinching. For example, hibiscus, azaleas (rhododendrons), euonymus, pomegranate, some ficuses, such as benjamin.

tie to support

Plant tying is designed to give the plant stability and a more beautiful appearance. A tie to a support should be mandatory for plants taken out into the garden in the open air so that the plant is not damaged by the wind. Plants are tied with woolen thread, soft braid, ribbon, large plants in the form of trees are tied with wire (in a winding). Threads or braid are best taken in green or brown. When tying, it is important that the bark or skin of the stems is not damaged in the plant. Plants with a long stem are tied up in several places. In bushy plants, one or more main stems are tied up.

The photo shows how to create a tie wall, from tapestries, can be made from thin slats. It is so convenient to tie up not only creepers (ivy, hoya and other plants), but even fruit trees, ficuses. Moreover, if you form citrus fruits in the same plane on a trellis, you can get a more productive fruit tree. Judge for yourself, at home, the lighting is one-sided (the chandelier and lamps in the room do not count), and a lemon, tangerine or orange tree needs a lot of light and always some sun. The location of the crown in one plane allows you to place the plant even on a narrow windowsill, while the branches will not hang over the edge where the batteries are, and even if they start to protrude a little, you can protect them with a greenhouse film.

The disadvantage of forming a crown in one plane is that this must be done from a young age - when the stems are still flexible. That is, you need to think over the entire design in advance. You will need a frame - a frame to which you need to stretch a metal wire horizontally, but thick, not flexible, or wooden slats. Rope and fishing line are not suitable - they will sag under the weight of branches. And you will have to fasten the trellises not in a pot, but in a long box or container (see picture), since the construction is quite heavy, an ordinary pot can simply tip over.

leaf care

Leaf care - can also be called the formation of appearance. Dust, dirt settle on the leaves of plants as well as pieces of furniture, but this is not always noticeable. Dust clogs the pores on the leaves, hindering the processes of respiration, reduces the amount of light that the plants need so much, and simply destroys the decorative beauty of the plants. On plants with broad leaves, dust is especially noticeable. The leaves of such plants should be wiped more often with a damp cloth or sponge. For plants that are not contraindicated in spraying, it would be nice to periodically arrange a shower, if the size of the plant allows. Leaf sprays or sprays can also be used, but may not be suitable for all plants. It is especially convenient to use polishes for large plants that take too long to wipe with a sponge, and if such a plant is in the office, then there is simply no time to wipe the leaves.

Leaf polishes are available from flower shops or garden centers. Before buying a polish, make sure that your plant can be treated with polish, and also carefully read the instructions, and especially the precautions. Plants with pubescent leaves cannot be wiped with a sponge or cloth, and dust also accumulates on them. Therefore, they are cleaned of dust with a soft brush for paints. Cacti and other succulents are also cleaned with a brush, and for the prevention of various pests, these plants are periodically washed with a brush dipped in pure medical alcohol. And of course, everyone should understand that yellowed and dried leaves, as well as old withered flowers, must be periodically picked off from any plant. this spoils its decorative appeal. When picking off old leaves or removing damaged ones, pay attention to whether there are too many of them. Otherwise, maybe a pest has wound up on your plant, or the conditions of care are violated.

Natalya Rusinova