Sorry if I'm asking something I "should" know, but all these many years of gardening, I've never understood whether it's OK to cut part-way off leaves that are dried and ugly from the tips half-way down.
Does it upset the plant (Clivia is what I'm on about at the moment) if I "clean up" the look of the flower bed? Will the remaining part of the leaf continue to feed the plant?
Or does cutting off part of a leaf degrade its function?
TIA
HB
I generally leave a small margin of dead leaf, about 1/2 inch. I think the remaining leaf cannot be affected since anything in the dead area already stopped contributing any substances produced during the dying. On the other hand, cutting into the live or currently dying portion of a leaf might promote further dying.
Anybody have solid info about whether that "might promote further dying" ?References?
TIA
HB
Internet directions I got for propagating hydrangeas was to cut off top half of leaves on cuttings. I've done it and it worked fine.
If just a few leaves out of hundreds I'd simply pinch them off for aethetic reasons, but if many leaves are browning I'd think it would be much more important to find out why.
I agree with David Ross.
Dead is dead. Live parts on a leaf would still function to feed the plant.
I cut off enough to make the plant look good again. Dead leaf just doesn't look attractive to me.
Most plants can take a little abuse.
If I cut away the dead part of a large leaf and remove some of the live, green part, a further dead area will appear. I have observed this but have not a seen a documented source.
I especially see this with bearded iris. When I divide a clump of iris, I trim the roots to eliminate any torn or broken roots. I then trim the fan of leaves to reduce the demand for moisture from traumatized roots. The leaves develop dead areas 1/4 to 1/2 inch at the cuts.
I also see this in such house plants as Aloe vera, Dracaena, Cordyline, and a bromeliad. I also see this in my outdoor Cymbidium orchid and daylilies.
? How does that address what David said? His practice, if I read it right, was to leave a tiny bit of dead leaf because cutting into the live MIGHT be deleterious to plant.
HB
David cuts off the dead bits. He leaves the live bits. The fact that David leaves a tiny bit of live leaf is not inconsistent with what I wrote.
Look back. He said he leaves a tin bit of DEAD leaf. Question of aesthetics, or question of plant function?
HB
Reread. I've left in the pertinent bits and snipped the rest since you seem to be confused.
David said he cuts off dead bits and says the dead bit he's cut off is not contributing substances. I said that dead is dead but live feeds the plant. They both say the same thing, or they should.
Oooh! Intercontinental (incontinent?) ballistic keyboards! We haven't had a deathmatch since Shelly last stepped out of line.
D
I cut away the dead bits. However, I leave a very small portion of dead so as not to injure any live portion of the leaf.
At least, that is what I meant.
Down, boy! On this NG all is peace, friendship, and the occasional mild editing contretemps.
HB
Do you think that what I wrote negates what you wrote?
In that case we are in perfect accord! Tx
HB [...]
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