I spent years afraid to cut back or restart my plants because I was just happy they were alive and didn’t want to mess with that.

However, I was losing out on so much potential by not just cutting them back or restarting when they needed it.

Plants need haircuts to freshen up, just like we do. It helps them grow back healthier and stronger. Stems thicken after being cut. Growth from the base of the plant is triggered. And cut stems often branch into multiple new stems.

Sometimes, if plants are struggling, it’s not worth continuing to limp along. Taking cuttings and starting over is the best thing you can do for both you and the plant.

I’ve restarted many plants at this point for lots of reasons… whether they’ve gotten too large, couldn’t get rid of pests, were growing in a really ugly way (too leggy, lopsided, whatever…), or the roots weren’t super healthy anymore.

The plants come out on the other side doing better. It does require a lot of patience and a leap of faith on the grower’s part. Plants don’t root and start growing overnight, sadly. If you give them a serious pruning (which is what I’m talking about), it takes time for them to bounce back.

But, I’d argue it’s almost always worth it.

Off the top of my head, I’ve completely restarted:

• Hoya obovata (got too big and unmanageable(
• Hoya bella (mealybugs were drying me crazy)
• Hoya carnosa (also a mealybug hotel I needed to squash)
• Various Coleus (so many times because they grow so fast and get so leggy)
• Plectranthus tomentosa (over and over for the same reason as Coleus)

I’ve given severe prunings to start fresh to:

• Pachira aquatica
• Peperomia incana
• Sinningias and other bushy gesneriads
• Powderpuff Plants (Calliandria)
• Hibiscus
• Climbing & trailing aroids (including the super common ones, like pothos)

And if you live somewhere similar to me, we are currently entering Spring. Now is the perfect time to do these tasks.

You don’t have to be as bold as I am and cut back to the point where there are no leaves if you aren’t ready. Trimming a plant back a bit is a great start.

If you need a little help feeling good about it, like I once did:

1. Remember, growers are constantly cutting mother plants back to make new baby plants to sell to you!
2. Bonsai growers maximize on the art of both cutting back the plant above the soil and cutting back the roots! The art of doing both of these is how they create these tiny little art pieces with maximum health.
3. Cutting a plant is not a death sentence. It’s the beginning of so much potential!

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