How to prune bird of paradise
With huge flowers and leaves up to 18 inches long, Bird of Paradise can quickly fill up a space with exotic flair. However, as the plants are prized due to their beauty and size and beauty, many gardeners tend to avoid pruning because they fear harming their leaves. Pruning is, however, an effective and safe way to improve the health and the continued growth that of the Bird of Paradise.
Pruning is a great way to eliminate wilted, faded, discolored, or dead leaves and also to control the overall dimensions that the plants. To trim your Bird of Paradise, use pruning shears. You can cut off the flower or leaf at the bottom of the plant. You can also remove all dead stems in the process. However, be cautious that it is important to be careful, as a Bird of Paradise grows slowly. Limit the amount of trimming essential.
What is Pruning?
When you think about pruning, you might think of cutting an ornamental plant like a bonsai to maintain its appearance. Some plants indeed need to be pruned. But, pruning is an effective way to keep the plant healthy and also beautiful.
Each leaf, stem, or flower plants produce, uses energy. Also, it requires substantial elements, including sunlight water, nutrients, and water that allow a plant to continue growing. All the work required to create and sustain new growth could cause damage to the plant’s roots, which forces them to put in extra effort to ensure your plant is in good shape.
As the leaves and flowers get older, they tend to become yellow or die, so there’s dead foliage and dead flowers. Although it might be difficult to think that cutting a plant can be beneficial to its pruning, it can aid your plant in removing dead leaves or areas which have become old or unhealthy. This can help conserve your plant’s energy and lets it be better utilized for the growth of new plants.
In allowing plants to focus their energy on healthier flowers, leaves, and stems, pruning can aid in helping plants grow faster over the long term. It is because it is more energized to spend more time and focus on healthy roots and fresh foliage.
It is important to be aware that pruning plants are just as individual as cutting the hair of a person. Certain species of plants grow rapidly and can be cut dramatically every year to create new leaves. Different plant species produce leaves and Paradise flowers less frequently and lose their gorgeous appearance when cut too often. Furthermore, every plant is unique and will require different amounts of pruning to maintain its vibrant appearance.
Don’t fret, though it’s natural to feel slightly anxious about heavy pruning, as every plant owner doesn’t want to hurt their plants These tips can help you trim the Bird of Paradise plant in the most effective way to ensure its health and beauty for the long term.
Does a Bird of Paradise Need to Be Pruned?
The quick answer can be “yes!” Almost every plant that is in the world, from cacti to roses must be cut back. But, how much pruning that a plant will take, and the reasons for pruning are likely to differ.
It is native to South Africa, Bird of Paradise plant is a tropical tree that can get quite huge, even when planted in a greenhouse. Many houseplants you’ve seen were likely to have many leaves, which shed frequently, Bird of Paradise plant is an evergreen plant.
Although the term “evergreen” may be reminiscent of the pine tree. There are many varieties of evergreen species that thrive in various climates. The tropical evergreens, which include palm trees, usually have fewer leaves, and generally grow slowly. The leaves can stay at the base of the plant for a few months, sometimes even for several years.
On average an individual Bird of Paradise will produce as much as one leaf per month throughout its growing period. There are fewer leaves overall every Bird of Paradise leaf plays vitally in photosynthesis, a process that plants use to absorb light and produce energy. This is why Bird of Paradise plants cannot be cut as freely as other varieties of plants as a reduction in leaf size will drastically decrease their ability to absorb sunlight.
But, this doesn’t mean you must be hesitant to trim or cut down your Bird of Paradise – only to do it with care to make the right decisions for the plant’s appearance and health.
Now knowing there’s more to trimming a plant than just picking up a pair of scissors, where do you start? To answer this question, let’s begin by determining the ideal time to trim your Bird of Paradise.
When Is the Best Time to Prune a Bird of Paradise Houseplant?
While it’s always acceptable to remove the damaged or yellowing leaves one of the most crucial factors when it comes to executing a major cutting of your Bird of Paradise is to be aware of its growing season.
What is the significance of this? Each plant has a time that produces the majority of its growth throughout the entire year. For several species, such as Bird of Paradise, this time spans from early spring to autumn. This is when the plant absorbs maximum sunlight’s energy and converts it into new Paradise flowers and leaves.
As temperatures begin to fall and the days get shorter, plants enter a time called “dormancy”, which is like hibernation. During the time of dormancy, plants slow down their growth, with a focus on the well-being of their roots as well as taking in nutrients to be stored to help them through winter.
In this period of slow growth, plants are less able to adjust to changes in the environment or any injury to their leaves or stems. As Paradise pruning causes strain on the plant, it’s best to be saved for where the Bird of Paradise is better in its ability to recover by early springtime pruning.
Reasons to Prune an Indoor Bird of Paradise
We have already said that trimming the Bird of Paradise can be beneficial to the plant’s overall wellbeing, there are a few specific signs that suggest you must seriously consider trimming the Bird of Paradise. Below are the most frequent reasons why your plant may require trimming.
Reason 1: Dead Flowers or Dying Leaves
While a yellow leaf could appear as if it is in better condition than a dry or brown leaf, yellow leaves will not support the plant. While it’s possible the leaf that has just a little yellow could recover to a healthy color, noticeable browning and yellowing are usually a sign of plant stress or the aging of the leaf.
As the leaves begin to fade, they will fall from the plant on its on their own. This could take weeks for this to happen and, during that time they’ll continue to take energy out of the plants until they are gone. By taking the matter to yourself to aid the Bird of Paradise conserve energy that can be used to create exciting, new growth.
Reason 2: Broken Stalks or Damage
It is essential to give your plants consideration. But, even the most meticulous homeowner has broken their plant the stem of their garden or hurt their plant during the removal or repotting.
Plants like Bird of Paradise can be vulnerable to this kind of damage due to their top-heavy structure and slim stems. Sometimes, the stalks even begin to sag due to their weight and eventually break.
If this kind of injury occurs when this type of damage occurs, you should cut off the damaged part of the stem completely. Although this might seem like something too extreme however it allows your plant to save energy, and also minimize the risk of a bacterial infection within the damaged area of your plant.
Reason 3: Aging Leaves and Dead Stems
As we have previously discussed the signs of yellowing are a result of the aging of leaves. Older stems and leaves can maintain their color however they lose force and vitality. In this case, older leaves and stems could appear limp and appear to be drooping when compared to other stalks.
Older leaves also tend to have tears and split that even though they’re not necessarily harmful to the plant, may affect how your Bird of Paradise. In these cases, it might be beneficial to remove dead flowers and parts of your plant. This will decrease the chance of older stems breaking due to their weight, and will ensure the appearance of your plant.
Reason 4: Reducing Size
Bird of Paradise is a big plant. And while its massive size is adored by many plant lovers, however, it can become quite out of hand. With the added height from the gardener, a few leaves of the Bird of Paradise leaves may be able to reach the ceiling of your home.
Furthermore, Bird of Paradise can become larger due to the spreading of the stems. The same thing can begin to take over the space of your living space. One option to limit what size of your plants is to trim the bulky or heavy stalks, which will limit the dimensions and spread of the plant to something easier to manage.
Tools for Pruning Bird of Paradise
Because pruning a large tree is an enormous task and requires a lot of time, it is important to acquire the appropriate tools before beginning. Even if the Bird of Paradise hasn’t achieved its full potential of new growth it is likely that its stems to be tough and perhaps difficult to remove dead flowers and parts. In this regard, the basic scissors you employ to create and for household work could not be enough.
Instead, seek out specially-designed pruning shears. Garden shears typically have special grips and reinforced and angled blades that assist in cutting through stems that can be difficult to remove.
But, for a huge Bird of Paradise, you might require more cutting power with the help of a lopper or pruning saw. If your plant is too dense and crowded with dead foliage and new growth for you to reach the center, use a large pruning saw to cut the entire plant about 1 foot (0.30 m) off of the ground. 
Whichever blade you decide to employ, a great pruning instrument is a pair of top-quality gardening gloves that can be a good investment in security and convenience. While some garden gloves are made from cloth and are designed to guard against dirt, you should look for specific pruning gloves that are designed specifically for.
Most of the time, these gloves extend to the forearm and are composed of a majority of leather or rubber. Although it may appear to be unnecessary, cutting the plant that has thick fibrous stems may increase the risk of cutting or bruises, so it’s wise to take care.
Disinfectant can also be an essential tool you can use while Paradise pruning because cutting off a plant’s stems could introduce bacteria to the Bird of Paradise. However, this doesn’t have to be a costly purchase. Although there are disinfectants specifically designed for use available and available, you can make use of the antibacterial water and soap to wash your lobbers or scissors. It is also possible to use 70 percent to 100% ruby alcohol to cleanse the blades with ease.
In addition, pruning could cause the dispersal of dead flowers matter and dirt. It is recommended to think about using plastic bags, tarps, or newspapers to protect any surfaces that you are working on.
How to Prune Your Bird of Paradise Plant
After having read our list of the top reasons to trim your Bird of Paradise, you might already have an idea of the needs of your plant. However, if not, you should take a look at it carefully. Check your Bird of Paradise for yellowing leaves, damaged stems, or areas that have drooped. These are the first to go. 
If you are pruning the stem of a Bird of Paradise, you should make your cut close to the bottom of the stem that is feasible. Also do not just cut the leaf from the stem. Leave the stem bare. The stem won’t produce a new leaf and will continue to draw energy from the plant.
Instead (whether you’re trying to take a leaf off or cut a stem that is broken) cut along the bottom of your plant and then through the middle of the stem. Place the cut stem aside and continue trimming until you’ve dealt with your issues.
When you’re completed, you must immediately remove the cut pieces of plants from the area Don’t put any of the leaves that were cut within the Bird of Paradise container. These parts could start to attract insects and even mold that could harm the health of your plant.
Should You Deadhead Bird of Paradise Flowers?
One question that is about pruning is whether it is necessary to “deadhead” the spent blooms of the Bird of Paradise. Like other flowering plants, it may be beneficial to take out any blooms that are becoming brown or dehydrating off your Bird of Paradise by pruning. This allows the plant to concentrate on the development of new Paradise flowers, and it also helps preserve the plant’s beauty.
In some flowering plants, deadheading is done near the point of the flower. It involves cutting or pinching away the flower. With the Bird of Paradise, deadheading may appear closer to pruning.
The stem should be cut off of the sunk bloom as near to its base as possible by using gloves and clean pruning tools. Make sure to eliminate any organic matter as soon as you can to prevent any fungus, bacteria, or insects that might be able to grow on the pruned plant material.
Pruning Other Types of Birds of Paradise
There are birds of paradise that thrive in deserts. plants in another Genus, the birds of paradise in red (Caesaepinia Pulcherrima) and the birds of paradise in yellow (C. Gilliesii) as well as C. Mexicana, the Mexican bird (Red Bird) of paradise (C. Mexicana).
Red – From late winter to early spring (after the risk of frost has gone away) is the ideal time to cut this type of tree. Cut it back between 6 and 12 inches (15-30 cm.) over the surface. It could require a second trimming at midsummer, based on the growth rate.
Yellow – This can be carried out in the late winter/early spring too, but only sparingly. Remove any old blooms. If needed the branches can be cut to reduce their length.
Mexican (Red Bird) – Similar to the others, the pruning occurs in late winter or the early spring. Similar to yellow, in the way that it is used sparingly. Remove dried flower blooms and stalks in the lower part of the stem.
Final Words
Although trimming a plant that is as big as Bird of Paradise can be an effort but it’s worthwhile. Pruning your plant allows it to put its energy and resources into the shape of growth and helps keep it looking stunning.
Remember that, being an evergreen plant it is likely that your Bird of Paradise will produce an average of just one new leaf every month – perhaps less. Therefore, it’s recommended to begin slowly with your pruning.
Be patient to prioritize the needs of your Paradise plants be aware that you may prune your plant again later on if you need to. With a little planning and perseverance, you can make use of pruning techniques to keep your plant in good shape, limit its size, and promote healthy growth that thrives throughout the growing season.
