How to prune to fix being leggy

6 years ago

new to the plant keeping scene. But I’ve had this plant for about 4 years now. It used to be very bushy. But over the last year it’s gotten tall and no leaves at the bottom so it’s top heavy. How do I prune so it’ll have new growth or start growing leaves at the bottom again?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

Harley Taylor
Original Author
6 years ago
Or if i can just prune off top of this plant, and then plant that to start a new one...how would i do that? If i can just start over that would be ideal.
User
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I think that's an Aglaonema, but don't know why the leaves are so far apart. I didn't think these are high light plants, the 2 Ags I grow are not.

You probably can restart them by chopping off the tops & re-rooting them in water.

Pls allow a day or 2 for others to respond & in the meantime, look up Aglaonemas & see if you can match the pix to your mostly green, red-edged variety & read up on its care.

I believe this is one of the newer varieties introduced during the last several yrs.
Related Professionals
Wilmington Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Portsmouth Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Janesville Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Murfreesboro Landscape Contractors · Middletown Landscape Contractors · Brattleboro Landscape Contractors · Wilmington Kitchen Remodelers · Pensacola Kitchen Remodelers · Lake Charles Kitchen Remodelers · Concord Kitchen Remodelers · Elizabeth City Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Jamestown Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Gaithersburg Landscape Contractors · Waterbury Interior Designers & Decorators · Albuquerque Interior Designers & Decorators
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
6 years ago
it looks like etoliation ... stretching .... due to lack of proper lighting ..

and after 4 years.. i suspect the media is wearing out.. so there is improper water management ...

lastly.. it looks chained to the wall and maybe it doesnt like that... lol ...

once you get the ID.. take it to a search engine.. and add the word PROPAGATION ... and look at the videos.. if any ...

there arent many houseplants that cant be easily propagated.. that being the main reason they are cheap house plants ...

cloning new pieces. leaves you with a new plant.. and is the best way to go ... you will end up with the exact same plant.. just in a younger form ...

ken
Harley Taylor
Original Author
6 years ago
It’s not chained to the wall haha. My dog tie out was just laying there.
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
6 years ago
Pruning alone won’t stop it from growing leggy. The light situation needs fixing or it will just etiolate all over again.
socks
6 years ago
Very pretty plant. Is there a way to get it more light but not direct sun?
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
6 years ago
The only thing pruning will fix is the tendency for the stems to lay over due to their weakness, unless you give it more light, and the plant definitely needs more light.

If you do prune, prune each stem back so there is only 1 pair of leaves on each stem. If you want a more enthusiastic back-budding response, move the plant outdoors into open or dappled shade a week or so before you prune.

Boilerplate questions: Does the pot have a hole in it? Do you flush the soil when you water? Are you fertilizing? with what product and what NPK %s show on the packaging?

Al