The diluted liquid fertilizer is applicable for a couple of weeks helping to bloom the flower. Q. Bird-of-Paradise Houseplant - My bird-of-paradise is 4 years old and has never bloomed. Do not use hedge trimmers on your Bird of Paradise because this can cause irreversible damage to the plant. Retain any leaves with more than 50% live tissue. Use loppers, hand pruners or a pruning saw, but never hedge trimmers which will make rough cuts and leave ragged, damaged edges. Gardening on the Web since 1997 Larger species like S. nicolai or S. alba grow up to 30 feet tall, which makes them difficult to grow in your home unless you live in a mansion with an enormous, well-lit foyer.. Apply the trimming and pruning techniques and assess the effect. Both Yellow and Mexican Bird of Paradise flowers should be pruned sparingly when flowers and stems begin to die. Failure to remove dead leaves can result in rotting and fungal infections that can kill the plant completely, so make sure you dispose of the dead foliage completely! Begin pruning Yellow and Mexican varieties in late winter and early spring. Removing just damaged material to where it connects to the main body of the plant is how to trim a bird of paradise cleanly. Keep bird of paradise (Strelitizia reginae) and white bird of paradise (Strelitzia nicolai) looking trim and tidy with regular pruning.Regularly tidying up the dead flowers and leaf debris also helps keep fungal diseases from getting established. Generally speaking, there is very little pruning required for White Bird of Paradise plants. These plants can easily grow to be up to 5 feet (1.5 m) in diameter, so refrain from planting other flowers in the surrounding area. You may wish to reduce the size of an older plant or remove leaves and stems that bar a pathway or window. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Water: In the spring and summer keep the soil moist but never soggy. Bird of paradise plants are pretty forgiving and will grow in a range of soil types. The best food for the white bird of paradise is balanced plant nourishment during spring and summer until mid-autumn using controlled-release fertilizer. This is the first opportunity for pruning birds of paradise, but not the last. The Bird of Paradise flower is brightly colored with spiky-looking blooms that are eye catching and exciting in any garden. Water from the bottom so the soil stays loose and remains well aerated. The distinctive bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae or Strelizia nicolai) is one of the best known of all the tropical flowers and is a cousin to the banana.Surprisingly, the bird of paradise is easier to grow than many tropical plants and makes for a vigorous, rapidly growing indoor plant. pruning bird of paradise houseplant December 2, 2020 / 0 Comments / in Uncategorized / by / 0 Comments / in Uncategorized / by We use cookies to make wikiHow great. A Bird of Paradise plant needs less water in the fall and winter. Always wear thick gardening gloves when pruning. This will give you the space to clear out old foliage and let new growth begin. Bird of Paradise Pruning The bird of paradise pruning should be done in early spring. There’s something tropical and exotic about the upright stalks, the banana-shaped leaves, and the unique flowers that look like a crane. It sits in a south window, so it gets plenty of sunshine. Q. Bird-of-Paradise Houseplant - My bird-of-paradise is 4 years old and has never bloomed. You can of course prune out the flowers once they are finished, just cut them off as close to the base as you can. Red Bird of Paradise flowers are very hardy and can handle heavy pruning two times per year if the plant is healthy. Pruning for Height. Bird of paradise pruning is a more serious affair. Dubbed the queen of houseplants, the bird of paradise is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with in the world of indoor plants. The flowers will last 2 to 3 weeks before dropping petals and dying. Never remove more than one third of plant material per season and follow up with good cultural care. This helps your plant to look clean and colorful year round! What Are The Different Types Of Bird Of Paradise Plants, Feeding Bird Of Paradise Plants – How To Fertilize Bird Of Paradise Plants, What Are Loppers Used For: Tips On Using Garden Loppers For Pruning, Garden Inside During Winter: How To Plant An Indoor Winter Garden, Growing Food For Christmas: How To Grow Christmas Dinner, Boxwood Wreath Ideas: Tips For Making Boxwood Wreaths, Black Walnut Tree Compatible Plants: Plants That Grow Under Black Walnut Trees, Growing And Planting Smoke Trees In The Landscape, Information On How To Prune Roots On Houseplants, Fresh-Cut Pine Tree Smell: Perfect Christmas Tree Memories, Norfolk Island Pine - The Perfect Christmas Tree, Winter Survival Guide: Creative Ways To Garden In Winter, Evergreen Favorite: Container Grown Olive Trees. Excess plant food deposits salts in the soil and these salts cause leaf tip burn. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Thinning is another way of cleaning up a bird of paradise. The goals of bird of paradise pruning are to remove old plant matter, thin the leaves, and take out damaged stems. Bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae) … It is relatively hardy and adapts to a wide spectrum of light conditions from direct … If you have even 2 or 3 dead blooms, removing them can help the remaining flowers live longer. Sign up for our newsletter. By: Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist. References. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. You can also opt for a fine quality of coarse-grained fertilizer three times in a year period. For more tips from our Horticulturalist co-author, including how to keep Bird of Paradise plants safe during frosts, keep reading! You might need a friend or neighbor to hold it steady while you’re trimming to avoid getting hurt with the shears. You may trim it here and there if it gets too crowded. Step 5 Water the plant after pruning. This leaves no dead stems to mar the beauty of the plant. For dense plants, use a pruning saw to cut the entire plant to about 1 foot off the ground. No-dash-here, you've found The Real Garden Helper! In general, the pruning of bird of paradise shrubberies is necessary only to remove frost-damaged limbs or to remove dead, crossing or damaged branches. Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. You can divide it with a shovel and saw for replanting elsewhere. Pruning your Red Bird of Paradise, Caesalpinia pulcherrima, which is what I have, should be in late winter or early spring. Bird of paradise can be cleaned up and trimmed at any point, but serious pruning should wait until early spring. Any time you cut into a plant you should have sharp implements, safety garb, and sanitized equipment to prevent introducing and spreading disease. Here’s how to care for birds of paradise to keep them at their best. Remove new growth at the base of the plant. Major Pruning Of Large Bird Of Pardise Plant - I have an over grown Bird of Pardise plant in front of my house that is about 15 feet tall. This large, upright plant adds a rich, tropical flair to your space as its glossy, banana-shaped leaves fan out. Wondering how to prune Bird of Paradise plant that has grown too wide, too tall, or has damaged leaves? After cold winter weather ends, you can start assessing your Yellow and Mexican Bird of Paradise flowers to prune them. Many … Prune dead or broken branches of croton any time of year. Near life-sized crane’s heads in bright, exotic plumage are the focal point of this extraordinary tropical plant. Here’s the picture I said that I’d try to find in the video. You can prune your Bird of Paradise easily when they’ve finished blooming! Its broad, arching leaves make a dramatic, graceful statement in your home. An expert weighs in on how to feel better. Prune spent flowers and flower stalks in the early spring. Last Updated: April 23, 2020 If your plant is simply growing too large, remove the outer edges of the plant by cutting the stem and leaf to the base. This is done for the same reasons as trimming, but the goals are more intensive and combined. Water that has a high salt content burns the leaves. "I needed to understand the process of dead-heading my Bird of Paradise. Bird of paradise, or strelitzia reginae, produces thick, leathery leaves and colorful flowers that resemble the shape of a bird's head. Pruning at this point will encourage new growth in the plant later in the season. The plant is native to South Africa and requires a steady climate between 50-72 degrees Fahrenheit (10-20 degrees Celsius) to thrive. Try to maintain the shape of the flower in a circle to ensure easy access to all sides of the flower. If your plant is in a pot, bring it indoors during very cold temperatures to prevent freezing of the leaves and flowers. Look for brown, dead flowers, and cut the stem of these growths as close as possible to the base of the plant. Remove root suckers or sprouts that grow at the base of the plant in order to control the growth. Red Bird of Paradise is sometimes called Mexican Bird of Paradise I pruned mine a few weeks ago with a sharp pair of garden sheers. A Bird of Paradise that is trimmed in this way will normally grow back within 1-2 blooming seasons if treated with water and fertilizer. With proper care, a bird of paradise can grow to over six feet tall, even indoors. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. When using the saw, work slowly. It sits in a south window, so it gets plenty of sunshine.… Q. Getting Started. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water-Wise Garden at Aurora Municipal Center for the Water Conservation Department. Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. The plants can briefly tolerate temperatures as low as 24°F, although freezing temperatures will … If you hit a particularly dense area, use your pruning shears to pre-cut some of the stems to make the area a little easier to cut through. As mentioned in our introduction, you can't easily prune a Bird of Paradise plant without ruining its look and future growth so all you can do is to be prepared to accommodate its large size. The Bird of Paradise is considered the queen of the indoor plant world. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 53,659 times. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/bop/bird-of-paradise-pruning.htm, http://homeguides.sfgate.com/cut-back-bird-paradise-40632.html, https://www.green.ucf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/LNR-SOP-703-Pruning-Bird-of-Paradise.pdf, http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/bird-of-paradise.html, https://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1898, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. The goals of bird of paradise pruning are to remove old plant matter, thin the leaves, and take out damaged stems. However, it’s a good idea to know the type of paradise plant you have, as bird of paradise pruning tips vary slightly between varieties. She earned a BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from Western Michigan University in 2014. Birds of paradise are large, relatively easy to grow plants that lend a bold tropical flair to any indoor space. Pruning is one of the most important maintenance tasks for the landscape, but every plant has a different time and method. Spraying with mist is appreciated in the warm months. Cutting back into bare wood is also OK, as dormant leaf/stem buds below the cut eventually sprout. The Garden Helper is a free gardening encyclopedia and guides to growing and caring for gardens, plants and flowers. Helping gardeners grow their dreams since 1997. There are also desert-thriving bird of paradise plants found in another genus – red bird of paradise (Caesaepinia pulcherrima), yellow bird of paradise (C. gilliesii), and the Mexican bird of paradise (C. mexicana). Never fertilize a Bird of Paradise plant in the fall and winter when it is resting. This article has been viewed 53,659 times. Feeling lonely and sad? Bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae) is one of those plants that you don’t forget. Bird of paradise can be cleaned up and trimmed at any point, but serious pruning should wait until early spring. Fertilize a bird of paradise indoors with a half-strength water-soluble fertilizer every two weeks during the growing period. The Bird of Paradise flower is brightly colored and can grow extremely large as long as you prune it after it has finished blooming. You’ll want to remove the dead flowers & any unsightly foliage. Home / Gardening / How to Prune a Bird of Paradise : Great Gardening How to Prune a Bird of Paradise : Great Gardening Posted by: admin in Gardening January 29, 2014 0 208 Views Bird of Paradise flowers won’t naturally shed dead stems after the flower is removed, so it’s important to remove as much of the stem as possible. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! 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