What does it mean to cut below leaf level when deadheading a flowering plant? |
You generally cut just above a set of leaves when you deadhead and you cut just below a set of leaves if you're making tip cuttings to propagate a plant. The leaves are points of new growth for a plant. Cutting just above the leaves will redirect the plant's energy into producing a new stem where the leaf node is located. In the case of cuttings for propagation, the leaf node will be buried in the soil and roots will form instead of a new stem. Hope this makes sense to you! |