The Counterintuitive Art of Pruning: How Cutting Back Helps Plants Grow More
Pruning, the practice of selectively removing parts of a plant, may seem counterintuitive to promoting growth. After all, how can cutting away branches and stems possibly lead to a healthier, more vigorous plant? The answer lies in understanding the plant's natural growth mechanisms and how pruning can redirect energy and resources to stimulate new growth. Understanding Apical Dominance Plants exhibit a phenomenon called apical dominance, where the main shoot or tip of a branch suppresses the growth of lateral buds or shoots lower down on the stem. This is due to the production of a plant hormone called auxin, which is concentrated at the growing tip. Auxin inhibits the development of nearby buds, ensuring that the plant prioritizes upward growth. Pruning Breaks Apical Dominance When we prune a plant, we remove the growing tip, the primary source of auxin. This disruption of apical dominance allows the suppressed lateral buds to break dormancy and start growing. As a result, the pl...