A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The House Plant Forum my Zebra plant

Hi All,
i thought I had posted this question the other day but I do not see it here, so I will post again. (I must not have submitted it I guess) Any hoot, I have a zebra plant that has gotten very leggy there are 3 branches off the one branch and it only has leaves on the very top of the branches. Can I prune it back to get it to bush out again? i am a little afraid because once I prune it it will be 3 very sorry looking bare branches, so I want to be sure that it will blossom for me. thanks

be away for a long time
Myrna

Hi Myrna. how long have you had the plant? i repot each year after flowering is finished. and as the plant ages, i take cuttings and propagate. a plant book that i have (which i use often and find esp. for this plant was very accurate) says:

when flower bracts fade, cut back the stalk to a pair of sturdy leaves to keep the plant bushy. also, as the plant ages, cuttings from stem tips taken between the late winter/late spring will root easily and you should pinch back foliage on cuttings by 1/3 inch to 1/2 inch to prevent "fatal wilting" and you can cover the cuttings with plastic wrap unitl new roots form.

so maybe if you take action now it will bloom late summer. good luck!!

Thank you so much I will try this. the plant belongs to my housemate and i am not sure just how old the plant is it has to be at least 2 years old. But it has lost most of it leaves and it is such a beautiful plant i don't want it to die. Once again thank you for your response