Pruning is a crucial step in the life cycle of hydroponic gardening. Failing to prune correctly can have devastating consequences for your plant. When done incorrectly, pruning can stunt growth or even kill your plant. But when done correctly, pruning your AeroGarden plants can help them thrive by making it healthier and more compact.
Growing plants from an aerogarden is not tricky. However, to stimulate their natural growth cycle and yield the best results possible, we must understand the correct way to prune them. If you’re having difficulty keeping your plants alive in an aerogarden because you’ve been incorrectly pruning them, read on for everything you need to know about prune an aerogarden.
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Why Pruning Your Aerogarden Herbs and Plants is important
Before diving into the specifics of prune your aerogarden, let’s first look into the importance of pruning your herbs and plants. Pruning your herbs and plants is a healthy and necessary step that helps stimulate their natural growth cycle. It also helps your plants become more nutritious and more compact. Pruning has been proven to increase the yield of crops grown in soil or hydroponically by up to 50%. With herbs and plants being a large part of the aerogarden, ensuring their health and longevity is crucial to getting the most out of your garden.
When do you know you need to prune?
There are a few different signs that indicate you need to prune your AeroGarden plants. The most common one is when your plant’s leaves are yellowing. This signifies that your plant is not receiving the nutrients it needs to thrive. If your plant’s leaves are yellowing, pruning can help direct more nutrients to where they’re needed.
Another sign you need to prune your plant is if it forms a “mulch” around the edges of the growing tray. It is a sign that your plant is growing too large for its current space. Pruning can help your plant become healthier and more compact.
Materials Needed
- Pruning Sheers - While you can use any scissors, a sharp pair will make this process much more manageable.
- A root pruning tool - While not 100% necessary, a root pruning tool makes the process much easier.
- A plant growth regulator - These can help keep your plant from growing too tall while it’s still young. You can find these at any gardening store.
Step-by-Step Guide to Pruning your Aerogarden Plants
Pruning or cutting your plants’ stems and branches short is a simple way to enhance fruitfulness and growth. When you prune or trim, you must handle the roots or aerogarden plants with extreme care. You may trim your aerogarden plants by following these four simple steps:
1. You should gather the necessary tools. Pruners, gardening scissors, and other equipment may be very helpful in trimming your plants.
2. You should look for yellowed, variegated, dead, and dried leaves. It would be best if you cut away the dried leaves at the plant’s bottom. Pruning shouldn’t exceed one-third of the plant’s total weight, and you should first prune the dead leaves, roots, and other dead parts.
To ensure new growth:
Cut off the dominant buds on a plant or trim it down if it is overgrown.
Trim back some small branches by a quarter, others by half, and others back to the base.
Ensure the plant gets enough water and nutrients after pruning to recuperate well. If a plant’s roots or other parts are entangled with other plants in an aerogarden, don’t cut them.
Remember not to trim or prune if cutting will affect other plants.
How to Prune Dill from your Aerogarden
Wait until the dill plants have grown for at least four to eight weeks or until they are at least 6 inches tall, then identify the largest outer leaves and harvest. If you have a lot of dills in your garden and don’t want to use the older leaves, harvest the older leaves first. The trimming will cause the plants to recover quickly and grow new leaves immediately. Using scissors, snip the stems of the leaves right where they meet the gain point on the main stem. You may accomplish this by hand as well, by pinching the stems off.
After pruning or trimming your dill, lower your lights one inch. To ensure that your dill keeps growing after being reduced, harvest no more than a third of it. Check your lights after pruning or trimming your dill to ensure they have been adjusted correctly. If your dill is now one-inch shorter, lower your lights accordingly.
How to Prune Basil from your Aerogarden
The first pruning should be done when the plant has three sets of leaves. At this phase, prune the top leaves. You should see two sets of leaves sprouting from the main stem just below the base of the top leaves. Trim as close to the base as possible without hurting them with scissors or small gardening shears. Repeat the same process for any set of larger leaves that has two budding from its base.
It is safe to snip off any fallen or brown leaves from the plant as long as they are the exception rather than the rule. Mold and algae can grow on the growth deck if these are not removed, so be sure to take them off. It’s also essential to leave the most giant leaves at the bottom of the plant, as they provide most of its energy. Finally, avoid pruning more than one-third of the plant at any time.
How to Prune Parsley from your Aerogarden
To keep your Aerogarden’s parsley fresh and green, prune it regularly. You’ll also want to prune it regularly if you want it to remain in proportion with your Aerogarden. Parsley can ruin the flavor of your food if it grows too tall. When you remove the parsley flowers, you will see that the parsley grows more vigorously. Instead of feeding the seeds, the nutrients are now sent to the growth of leaves.
How to Prune Lettuce from your AeroGarden
Cut the outer lettuce leaves one inch above the lettuce’s top. Protect the lettuce’s peak, and the lettuce will continue to grow. Even if you’ve already started harvesting, trim the lettuce every 10 days or when it reaches 3 to 6 inches tall. The lettuce will regenerate if you trim it to 1 to 2 inches above the ground level. After a severe cut, wide loose-leaf lettuce varieties produce extra leaves.
How to Prune Cherry Tomato Plants from your Aerogarden
As soon as sprouts appear, several stems should soon follow. It would help if you thinned out the healthy stems to allow them ample space and nutrients. According to AeroGarden, this should be done when the sprouts are about 1 inch tall. The tomato plants should be kept small and compact to ensure a maximum yield. The Aerogarden restricts their growth, so removing the weakest stems and leaving just one in each pot is the way to go.
When the plant begins to fill out and grow, around the sixth week, you must top it. Using your fingers, follow the main stem upward until you reach the junction of the three leaves and flowers, where the main stem branches off into a “Y.” Cut at the junction, and that will strengthen the stem by supporting the tomatoes and increasing the plant’s weight. It must be cut if a branch wanders beyond or into the light coverage. Make your cut before the spot where one branch touches another.
You will control nutrients and prevent leggy tomato plants by cutting off new growth on the plant’s top. You must remove new growths every two weeks to prevent the plant from growing upward. As a result, the plant will direct its growth inward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is pruning the same as how to trim dill for growth in the aerogarden?
In most cases, it is, but eventually, you’ll need to prune some additional branches to ensure enough light or remove dead ones.
Is pruning the same as how to trim lettuce in the aerogarden?
Lettuce is fast - growing plant, so regular trimming should be enough without the need to prune it.
What is the difference between pruning and trimming?
Trimming promotes healthy growth and is performed at a different time of the year than pruning, which removes unnecessary branches.
How do you trim a hydroponic plant?
You must follow these rules when pruning. Remove any dead branches. Cut away branches that cross. Don’t cut more than a third of the plant at one time.
When should you prune your AeroGarden plants?
Aerogarden says to “prune the new growth” off the top of the plant every two weeks, ensuring that you remove the tips of each stem.
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Conclusion
Aerogardens are an excellent way to grow your herbs and vegetables year-round. However, to get the most out of your aerogarden, you must prune your plants correctly. Pruning your plants will help them thrive by providing them with the correct light and nutrients needed for healthy plant growth. When you prune your aerogarden, you’ll notice that it’s much easier to clean and maintain.
Now that you know how to prune your aerogarden herbs and plants, your garden should flourish. Pruning your herbs and plants is a healthy and necessary step that helps your garden grow healthier and yield more crops. Pruning your aerogarden herbs and plants is essential if you want to keep your plants alive and thriving.