How do I properly prune my plants to manage their growth?

What is Pruning?

Pruning is the practice of selectively removing parts of a plant. It is important for maintaining plant health, preventing pests and disease, and promoting new growth and fruit/vegetable production. It can be done reactively, like if you notice a leaf is infested with pests and want to remove it to prevent them from spreading, or proactively, such as trimming the end of a cucumber vine to prevent it from growing into a walking path.

Why You Should Prune

There are a number of reasons why pruning is beneficial but here are the most common:

• Maintains healthy plants by getting rid of overgrowth and promoting airflow

• Allows for a cut and come again style of harvesting

• Removes unhealthy parts of a plant to prevent pests or disease from spreading. Look out for discolored, severely wilted, or dead outer leaves to prune off regularly as needed.

• Prevent plants from shading each other out by removing leaves or growth that blocks sunlight

• Keeps growth manageable by trimming growth that extends into walking paths, living spaces, or other undesirable areas

• Promotes new growth and fruit production by redirecting energy and resources away from old growth

Pruning tenents

• Always use clean scissors or garden shears to avoid introducing diseases, or pinch off leaves with fingers, being careful not to rip off any more than intended.
• Never prune more than 1/3 of the plant at a time to keep it healthy.
• Remove any yellowing, weak, or leggy stems regularly.

Learn more about how to prune in the video below!

Variety Specific Pruning Tips

Lettuce and leafy greens

• Remove the outer, mature leaves first.

• Snip about 1/2 inch above the base of the plant to avoid damaging the crown (growth center).

• Leave at least 4–6 inner leaves to allow continued growth.

• Regularly prune off any wilted, yellow, or damaged leaves to prevent disease and pests.

Cilantro and Parsley

• Start early: Once the plant has at least 4–6 inches of growth (about 4–5 true leaves).

• Regularly: Every 1–2 weeks during the growing season.

• Before it bolts: As soon as you see flower stalks forming, cut them back.

• The outer leaves are the oldest. Start pruning from the outside inward.

• Leave the central (inner) growth intact so the plant can keep producing.

• Pinch flower buds
• If the plant starts forming a tall central stalk with buds, pinch or cut it off immediately to delay bolting.

Other herbs (basil, thyme, mint, etc.)

• Start when the plant has at least 6–8 leaves (usually 6–8 inches tall).
• Continue pruning regularly every 1–2 weeks during the growing season.
• Find a leaf node
  Look for the spot where a pair of leaves meets the main stem. Tiny new leaves (side shoots) often form there.
• Cut above the node
  Using clean scissors or your fingers, cut the stem just above that set of leaves. Don’t cut too low, or you’ll stunt the plant.
• Remove flowers
  If you see basil starting to flower, pinch or snip off the flower buds immediately. Flowering makes leaves bitter and slows leaf growth.
• Don’t over-prune
  Never remove more than ⅓ of the plant at once. This ensures the basil keeps photosynthesizing and growing back.
• Tips

• • Always prune the top growth first, not the bottom leaves. This encourages the plant to branch outward.

  • Use the cuttings—stick them in water and they’ll often root, giving you new plants.

  • Regular harvesting is essentially pruning—so cook with your basil often!

Broccoli & Cabbage

You may have noticed that these cool season plants can grow to be quite large and sometimes overcrowd the plants near them. Try removing some of the outer, older leaves to make room for surrounding plants. You won't harm the plant and these leaves are actually edible. Try replacing kale in a recipe with broccoli leaves!

Zucchini

Overgrowth and large leaves can shade out other plants on your Farmstand, hide blossoms from pollinators, and pull the plant out of the Farmstand. Prune this plant by removing the older, larger leaves that are closest to where the main vine is growing out of the grow cup. Cut leaf stems ½ - 1 inch from the main stem. If you notice your first fruits looking yellow at the ends, prune the fruit off. It is normal for early fruits to suffer from end rot, but as the plant grows bigger and healthier, this should go away. 

Peppers and Tomatoes

Peppers and indeterminate tomato plants will require regular pruning to keep plants compact. Additionally, pruning suckers (pinching off the shoots at the "elbows" between the main stem and branches) will keep growth from becoming too dense. These plants require ventilation and access to full sun for best leaf growth, flower setting, and disease prevention. We recommend using a trellis to keep these plants supported (so the stems don't break under their own weight) and off the ground to help with pest/ disease control. You can flip a tomato cage upside down as one method of keeping plants off the ground. 

Don’t Forget the Roots

As mentioned in the video above, plants’ root systems can develop extensive growth as the plant gets bigger. This can block or divert water inside of the Farmstand from reaching seedlings which will cause them to wilt. Large root systems can also grow into the reservoir where they can clog the Farmstand’s pump. Occasionally trimming no more than 1/3 of your plants' roots, once every 6 - 8 weeks, can keep your plants healthy and your Farmstand running smoothly.