Wishbone Flower, also known as Torenia, is a medium-sized plant with a full form. Abundant, often bi-color flowers grow on long, upright stems with lush green, serrated foliage filling the spaces between blooms. This lovely blooming plant is generally easy to maintain and requires minimal care. Trimming is unnecessary, but if you want the plant to look fuller, then regular pruning can help.
Torenia is a beauty, and with some routine maintenance pruning, you can keep this annual looking full and lush throughout the growing season. Cutting the plant back to encourage growth may seem counterintuitive, but trimming the plant in the right spots at the right time will redirect energy into new growth.
When to Prune Torenia
Wishbone Flower is commonly grown as an outdoor plant. This plant can become leggy or overgrown, and cutting it back periodically throughout the growing season can help it maintain a full and dense appearance. Trim the plant anytime the stems are elongated and large spaces develop between branches and foliage. Plants grown in low light are more apt to become leggy, so make sure the plant receives enough sunlight.
Torenia is considered a self-cleaning plant, and as the blooms fade, they naturally fall away and maintain a tidy look. Deadheading or removing the spent blooms is not necessary, but can tidy the appearance if desired.
Why Prune Torenia
Torenia has a lovely natural form, but the stems can grow very long and the form can become open and floppy. Plants grown in low light conditions are more likely to become leggy and lose their compact shape. Cutting back a leggy plant will rejuvenate the growth and encourage more branched growth.
How to Prune Torenia
Step 1 - Inspect the growth of the plant
Remove any dead or damaged sections and look for elongated, overgrown stems.
Step 2 - Pinch back new growth
Remove new growth by pinching it between your finger and thumb, and new branched growth will emerge from the pinch point.
Step 3 - Trim elongated stems
Use clean pruning shears or scissors to cut back long stems to redirect energy into new growth.
Torenia Pruning Tips
- Pruning is not generally necessary for Torenia
- Trim the plant if it appears straggly or overgrown
- Pinch back new growth to encourage branching and a dense form
- Torenia is self-cleaning, and deadheading is not necessary, but removing spent blooms will maintain a tidy appearance
 |
Author Alison Cotsonas - Published 30-06-2022 |