How to Prune Stock (Matthiola incana)? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Pruning Methods

Stock (Matthiola incana) is an herbaceous plant in the genus Matthiola of the family Brassicaceae. It is a very beautiful flowering plant, widely cultivated in southern China, often grown in gardens or greenhouses for ornamental purposes. Many friends manage it well when growing it, letting it grow lush and full of branches and leaves, but for stock, dense growth is not a good thing, as it will affect its flowering. At this point, pruning is needed, so how should you prune it? Let's take a look.

1. Pruning at the seedling stage

When stock seedlings have grown to a certain degree, plant them out in their permanent position, and 20 days after planting, this is when stock enters a period of rapid growth. Pruning it at this time can speed up its growth. At this point, you need to pinch out the growing tips, removing 3-4 leaves and keeping only 5-6 true leaves, and remove the top, which can promote branching and make the plant grow faster.

2. Pruning during the growing period

During the growing period, stock grows extremely fast and will soon become lush with branches and leaves. When the soil is fertile and water is sufficient, the plant may also become leggy or grow crookedly, and at this point pruning is needed. Cut off some leggy branches, dense branches and overlapping branches; you can also cut off some side branches, which not only benefits the plant's growth but also keeps the plant shape attractive.

3. Pruning after flowering

Because stock is a perennial herbaceous plant, after it flowers we also need to prune it, in order to avoid nutrient consumption and store up enough nutrients to benefit the next flowering. Remove the faded flowers and also cut off their flower stems; in addition, you can also cut off some side branches, dense growth and diseased or damaged branches. After pruning, apply an appropriate amount of fertilizer so the plant recovers quickly.

4. Pruning precautions

Although pruning is simple, there are some precautions to keep in mind. When pruning, be sure to keep some of the more vigorous new branches, as they are the plant's growing points and must not be cut off, otherwise the plant may become weak or stop growing. In addition, after pruning, pay attention to protecting the wounds so that pathogens do not invade through them and harm the plant's growth. After each pruning, apply an appropriate amount of fertilizer so it recovers as quickly as possible and grows faster.

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