Key Points
When pruning houseplants, timing is important.Many houseplants go dormant in winter; pruning can interfere with the growth cycle.Pruning houseplants before winter can be beneficial if done sparingly.
Caring for houseplants involves similar tasks to caring for outdoor plants, including pruning. But where some outdoor perennials can be pruned in autumn before winter dormancy, most perennial houseplants should be left alone.
If you think it’s too late to prune your houseplants in November and early December, you may be right, because many houseplants slow down and go into a more dormant state of growth at this time.
Some light pruning may be safe to do, depending on the kinds of plants involved. We spoke with some houseplant experts to get some clarification on whether November and December arwe too late to prune, and other tips for winter care.
Meet the Expert
Lindsey Chastain is the CEO and founder of The Waddle and Cluck.
Mary Jane Duford is a horticulture expert, master gardener, and founder of the website Home for the Harvest.
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The Best Time to Prune Houseplants
Horticulture expert Mary Jane Duford says she avoids heavy houseplant pruning as winter approaches, because their growth slows down as the number of daylight hours drops. She also points out that cuts or other plant injuries take longer to heal in low light.
Homesteading and gardening expert Lindsey Chastain says that “by November, most houseplants have slowed down their growth.” This occurs in part because of lower light exposure.
Plants heading towards dormancy in winter are trying to conserve their energy, much of which that was expended during the more active growth cycle. Pruning usually stimulates plants to produce new growth, and this takes a toll on a plant’s energy stores.
Chastain says that pruning before winter means houseplants may not have enough energy to recover before spring growth occurs. She recommends any major pruning or repotting should be done in spring, when the plant has more energy to heal.
Both Chastain and Duford agree that a bit of light trimming (of dead or damaged leaves or stalks, or yellowed leaves) can be done in most cases, to keep the plant neat and to prevent any further spread of potential problems or plant disease.
Which Plants Can and Can’t Handle Winter Pruning?
Duford says that some houseplants are “certainly more forgiving” when it comes to winter season pruning. This includes popular houseplants like pothos, philodendron, spider plant, snake plant, peace lily, and cast iron plant, which she says are sturdy enough for light tip pruning or gentle clean up.
She also says that potted perennial herbs commonly brought inside for winter, like rosemary, thyme, mint, and oregano, are sturdy enough for light winter pruning and even a bit of harvesting. However, she recommends only cutting a small amount each time, to “make sure the plant has enough foliage for winter photosynthesis.”
Chastain says that many herbs “do amazing indoors in the winter” and adds basil, parsley, and chives to the list. She recommends placing them in a window with a northern exposure, and to occasionally rotate the containers to help balance their light exposure.
Duford says that some houseplants slow down so much in winter that it makes the most sense to wait until spring to prune or shape them.
In this group she includes fiddle leaf fig, monstera, bird of paradise, schefflera, dracaena, hoya, and also most ferns grown as houseplants. She says these plants respond better to trimming or pruning when they have higher levels of sunlight exposure and their growth is more active, once winter dormancy ends.
However, Duford also believes that there are a few pruning tasks that are always safe, regardless of the type of houseplant involved.
“I remove dead leaves, yellow leaves, broken stems, or overly-pest-affected growth any time of year,” she says, including just before and during winter. If done with a light touch, a small amount of pruning to help restore plant health from damage, or prevent spread of fungal dis should be considered a safe and desirable plant care practice.
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