I just bought a Giant Bird of Paradise plant and I need to trim some of the leaves off of it. Where should I trim? at the base? and how long will it take for the leaves to grow back? I don't want to cut off all the broken leaves and then it take a long time for them to grow back...
help please!!!
Thanks
Nat
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applestar
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- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
There's a basic rule of thumb not to cut off any more than 1/3 of the plant so as not to weaken it. With Bird of Paradise, th less number of leaves it has, the longer it's going to take for the plant to flower/less number of flower buds it will set.
When I had bird of paradise and those brittle leaf stems sometimes bent, I applied a kind of splint to them... I can't remember exactly what I used though since it was a long time ago... something long and straight, maybe dowel sticks or thin bamboo stakes, and floral tape? I only cut them off if the fluid supply was completely interrupted and the leaves started to die.
The leaves tend to grow with extra-long skinny stems when the light is inadequate, so be sure to give the container a 1/4 turn every day, and give you plant as much light as you can. I'm a huge believer in providing supplemental light with Aluminum-hooded Utility Clamp-on light fitted with 26W (100W equiv) Daylight CFL bulb.
When I had bird of paradise and those brittle leaf stems sometimes bent, I applied a kind of splint to them... I can't remember exactly what I used though since it was a long time ago... something long and straight, maybe dowel sticks or thin bamboo stakes, and floral tape? I only cut them off if the fluid supply was completely interrupted and the leaves started to die.
The leaves tend to grow with extra-long skinny stems when the light is inadequate, so be sure to give the container a 1/4 turn every day, and give you plant as much light as you can. I'm a huge believer in providing supplemental light with Aluminum-hooded Utility Clamp-on light fitted with 26W (100W equiv) Daylight CFL bulb.