Houseplant tidying and thinning

Taking off dead and yellowing leaves stops them rotting and removes hiding places for pests and mould. Pinching the tips makes the plant send out side shoots, so it grows fuller and bushier rather than thin and straggly. Thinning crowded stems lets light and air reach the middle of the plant. Cutting back after flowering steers the plant's energy into fresh leaves and future blooms instead of setting seed, keeping it healthy and in good shape.

When

Any time of year, since houseplants grow indoors and are not tied to the seasons. Pick off yellowing or dead leaves whenever you spot them. Pinch out growing tips through spring and summer when the plant is actively growing. Cut back leggy or flowered stems after a flush of blooms fades, or in early spring before the new growth gets going.

How

Use clean, sharp scissors or snips, wiped over first so you do not spread disease. 1) Remove any leaf that is yellow, brown or dead by pinching or cutting it off at the base of its stalk. 2) To keep the plant bushy, pinch out the soft growing tip of a stem between finger and thumb, just above a leaf joint. This makes the plant branch out lower down instead of getting tall and bare. 3) To thin leggy or crowded growth, cut whole weak or overlong stems back to a healthy leaf joint or right down to the base. 4) After flowering, snip off spent flower stems and trim the plant back into a tidy shape. Do not remove more than about a third of the plant at once. Drop the trimmings in the compost or bin and clean your snips afterwards.

Notes

Most leafy houseplants can be tidied this way, including coffee plant, indoor jasmine and peppermint. Herbs like peppermint respond well to regular pinching, which also gives you leaves to use. Take off only a few leaves or tips at a time on a slow or struggling plant. Some houseplants, such as Ficus (rubber plant, weeping fig), Euphorbia and poinsettia, ooze a milky sap when cut that can irritate skin and eyes, so handle these with care.