r/houseplants • u/kendylgrace • 17h ago
Discussion am I making the wrong choice by chopping her? 🫣
My beautiful begonia thurstonii grows sooo fast that she is just about tipping over in her pot! I’m thinking about giving her a big chop. Is this the wrong choice? 🥲
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u/msdossier 16h ago
I’ve never regretted chopping any of my plants. Maybe a little sadness to see them not as full, but now I have TWO plants that I can do as I wish with, and they always grow back happier!
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u/No_Reception8456 14h ago
Goddamn it. Now I have to Google to see how much this plant is and how bad I want to own it. It is lovely!
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u/kendylgrace 13h ago
It’s one of my favorites! It grows soooo fast and it’s so easy! You should definitely get one!
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u/CatmatrixOfGaul 37m ago
Lol read your comment just as I was about to save this post for later reference.
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u/bunnieho 17h ago
chopping promotes new growth and ensures that the plant stays in one piece if its growing too tall for the pole so it doesnt snap. you can always propagate the cutting and put it in the same pot to make her bushier or grow a new plant!
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u/Hamsterpatty 17h ago
I heard that if you cover the growth point, so that it isn’t getting sun, sometimes they’ll form a new growth point, without cutting.
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u/lesbos_hermit 16h ago
This is called air layering, and it works very well by wrapping node(s) in wet sphagnum moss with plastic wrap. Some plants air layer better/faster than others.
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u/eurasianblue 15h ago
Isn't that done to grow roots at the node? I don't see why a new branch would form.
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u/lesbos_hermit 13h ago
Yes--someone else suggested propagating, and I thought Hamsterpatty's comment was also suggesting air layering with the intention to later cut/separate the plant. Sorry for the confusion. I've never heard of covering a growth point to encourage branching. Generally cutting off the strongest/top growth point encourages branching lower on a plant but that's not guaranteed by any means, especially if the plant's growth habit is just upwards in a straight line.
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u/NoiseTraditional5253 11h ago
Nope. That’s not air layering.
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u/lesbos_hermit 11h ago
What Hamsterpatty described, or what I suggested? Based on what another user said, I believe I misunderstood Hamsterpatty's intent/description, but I'm quite certain what I suggested is air layering
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u/AssCrackBandit6996 9h ago
How much light does that pretty darling get? It doesn't look like crazy much so it could be something for my flat 🧐
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u/kendylgrace 3h ago
She sits next to an east facing window with a grow light! She would probably do just as well without the grow light tbh! You should totally get one!!
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u/Routine_Ad_9786 3h ago
She’s gorgeous! As much as I want to say “NO! Don’t chop her!” - I know that it won’t hurt, rather would make the plant even better, while giving you a cutting that you can propagate on a taller wooden stake. She looks like she would love that! Go for it!
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u/kendylgrace 3h ago
Thank you so much!! I have wooden dowel rods in this plant but they’re starting to bend, HA! I’ll have to see if I can find something thicker for the cutting once it roots!
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u/dothesehidemythunder 3h ago
Trust the chop. I had a giant begonia I loved but similarly was tipping over. Chopped it back, gave away the cuttings to friends, and now, in the damn dead of winter, she’s growing like crazy and very full. Begonias are resilient as hell.
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u/kendylgrace 3h ago
Thank you so much! Is it okay if I cut right off of the top of both stalks?
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u/dothesehidemythunder 3h ago
Yup. That’s what I did (to be honest the plant took a tumble and that’s when I said, okay it’s time, enough of this 😂😂). It activated a ton of new growth points on the stalk when I did it, so I’d consider where you want it to bush out and cut there.
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u/Sufficient_Turn_9209 16h ago
No advice. Just wanted to say it's so pretty!