Let's see your examples of pruning, shaping, manipulating, trimming to cause a desired effect, or where an effect was inadvertently achieved.

A Plectranthus stem. I installed it in the pot leaning over the side. But I don't want just one stem, so I nipped the tip. After a few weeks, new branches are growing at each node.



A similar pair of stem in a different pot, in place for a longer amount of time. There is no room for this plant IN the pot, but plenty of space over the edges. One stem would not be as interesting, IMVHO, so I've manipulated it to grow many more branches.


Plectranthus & Coleus are great plants to experiment. They grow so quickly, one does not have to wait long to see the results of their efforts. You can apply the same techniques to other entities that grow so much more slowly, such as other potted trees and shrubs, and to entities out in the landscape.

Will have to take more notice of the plectrantus Swedish Ivy as to how it reacts to controlled snipping.

It does get quite dense.

We have to rip it out of our planted terrariums on a regular basis. Love the stuff.

That is a good one too, grows so fast, you can quickly observe results. The techniques can apply to any branching plant. For a more upright one to play with, try Coleus. Over the course of a season, one can experiment with tip cutting, removing leaves from a side branch, whatever cause/effect that might be of interest to the grower.

Then, when it's time to trim a Jade, Ficus, or yard shrubs, the experience and confidence will be there, ready to contribute to getting rewarding results.

purpleinopp said: That is a good one too, grows so fast, you can quickly observe results. The techniques can apply to any branching plant. For a more upright one to play with, try Coleus. Over the course of a season, one can experiment with tip cutting, removing leaves from a side branch, whatever cause/effect that might be of interest to the grower.

Then, when it's time to trim a Jade, Ficus, or yard shrubs, the experience and confidence will be there, ready to contribute to getting rewarding results.

Have been meaning to try more Coleus for years, thank you for the reminder.

I think you'll have fun with it. ; ) If you live in a frost-free area, it can stay outside all year. Otherwise, protect from frost if you want to keep it indefinitely.

These trunks have been manipulated to have unusual zig-zags, curves, braids. I'm working on a couple of loops on some other trunks.

The old Dracaena marginata that you see commercially can actually be sort of amazing in their distorted trunks.
Coleus is probably the #1 best thing for someone who's never cut and rooted to start with. And Swedish ivy is right there, often has root nubs on the growing plant even. I stick Coleus cuttings in damp soil and shade and just ignore. They root like crazy.

Plectranthus installed sideways in a window box about a month ago. Every node is making a new branch.

After years of continually cutting this Plectranthus, it has shrunk to bonsai proportions. P. verticillatus.

purpleinopp said: Plectranthus installed sideways in a window box about a month ago. Every node is making a new branch.

Love the stuff. One of my favorite plants. That looks great.
I'll check tomorrow but I think my leaves (all 20+ plants' worth from the same mother) scallop a lot more even when young. Neat.

Just tried the same approach yesterday with pothos,

Instead of water-rooting (takes too long) or soil rooting 1-2 node cuttings, I just went for 6" sections w/ 3 or 4 leaves and nodes.

Couple per pot, pinned them down with halved paper clips (they work perfectly to pin the stems and stabilize them while they root). I think it'll work fine.

That sounds fun! Let us know how it goes.

Which kind do you have? Sorry if I've asked before and have forgotten. It's harder to keep track of them lately since they're mixed up with the Coleus now but I think I have 4. (As if there aren't enough Coleus w/o doing that! Now one can't look at just Plectranthus without scrolling past all of those.) This is my fav one because of the way it gets pink.


While I was looking for that pic, I remembered this pic. If 1 stem is good, more are better. Do you agree? : )

purpleinopp said: That sounds fun! Let us know how it goes.

Which kind do you have?

• Variegated Cuban Oregano (Coleus amboinicus 'Variegatus')
• Uploaded by purpleinopp

While I was looking for that pic, I remembered this pic. If 1 stem is good, more are better. Do you agree? : )

• Variegated Cuban Oregano (Coleus amboinicus 'Variegatus')
• Uploaded by purpleinopp

I do agree:) That thing was busting out!

Not sure what kind of plectranthus, just what I consider the classic Swedish Ivy (which means nothing, I know).

Dark green, heavily waxed leaves, scalloped, bullet-proof.

A friend of mine kept a 4" terra cotta cutting I gave him 20 years ago going for about 6 or 7 years.

Very bright indirect light, watered about every 5 months.
Looked horrible, but still...a very hardy plant.

I mentioned it goes bonkers in our glass terrariums under good LED light.

Aha! Now I remember. Agree, that's what I think of when I hear Swedish ivy. That one is the only non-hairy one I've had. I wonder if any other Plectranthus are non-hairy. IDK. I think you have this one:
Swedish Ivy (Plectranthus verticillatus)

purpleinopp said: Aha! I think you have this one:
Swedish Ivy (Plectranthus verticillatus)

Very similar:

Humboldt said: Very similar:

That one, under the air plant on the right, turned white, light green, and pink for the first 9 months. Stunted and burnt. Once it filled out enough to shade itself a bit (and with help from the neighboring plants) it never stopped growing.

Another Plectranthus stem on its way to being a bush.

purpleinopp said: Another Plectranthus stem on its way to being a bush.

• Vicks Plant (Plectranthus hadiensis)
• Uploaded by purpleinopp

How pretty and graceful.

Don't think I've seen that one before.

Thank you very much! I've been having fun with it. ; ) It smells good too.

I didn't say, sorry my bad, but it's the same plant as my first post of this discussion, and the "window box" stem. I'm running out of places to stick cuttings. If anyone wants some for postage, or anything else I have tons of, please send me a tree mail.

Almost a year ago, I was given this plant. I don't have room for a plant with a 6 foot "wingspan" so some trimming was needed.



I cut off everything that wasn't pointing up and stuck all of the removed pieces back into the pot. All of the old dull leaves fell off and now, it's a pot of soft, shiny new leaves.

purpleinopp said: Almost a year ago, I was given this plant. I don't have room for a plant with a 6 foot "wingspan" so some trimming was needed.



I cut off everything that wasn't pointing up and stuck all of the removed pieces back into the pot. All of the old dull leaves fell off and now, it's a pot of soft, shiny new leaves.

Great job, that looks amazing!

Thank you very much!