How to Prune a ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Methods
The ZZ plant is a perennial evergreen herbaceous plant. Pruning is not overly particular, it just depends on personal preference: if you like to keep large branches, cut off the small ones, and vice versa. Do not water immediately after pruning; it is best to prune a few days after watering, keeping thick and numerous branches. Now let us take a look at how to prune a ZZ plant!
Pinching
Pinching the ZZ plant suppresses upward growth and encourages side branches to spread out horizontally; the tender tips of the branches can be pinched off.
Bud Removal
Many adventitious buds grow from the base of the ZZ plant's stems and along the stems themselves, and these should be removed promptly to avoid wasting nutrients. However, strong buds in spots where branches are lacking should be kept, so they can be trained into useful branches.
Leaf Removal
The ZZ plant's best viewing period is mostly when new leaves are sprouting; at this time the leaves are small, either brightly eye-catching or so green they seem to drip, very pleasing to look at. By removing old leaves, the plant can be made to send out new leaves again, which adds another period of beauty to enjoy.
Branch Pruning
1. Shaping: The ZZ plant often grows many new branches, and to keep it looking attractive, pruning should be done. How to prune can be decided according to your preference for the shape of the bonsai tree; usually it can be trimmed into a natural form, with the branch pads trimmed into cloud-like shapes, like a miniature of a tree in nature. It can also be pruned into branch pads that are slightly higher in the middle, of varying sizes, with an outer outline like a melon-seed shape, which looks quite elegant. Avoid cutting it into round shapes, one clump after another like several balloons hanging on a bamboo pole, which looks very stiff, even tacky.
2. Branch Cutting: When pruning a ZZ plant, any clustered branches, crossing branches, inward-facing branches, overlapping branches, parallel branches and leggy branches should all be cut away, and branches known as “top-centre” branches should also be considered for removal. It should be explained that under some special circumstances, one or two side branches may also be selectively kept to perfect the shape; especially within one or two years after shaping is first completed, it is often found that the original shape has some slight shortcomings, and if a suitable newly grown branch can make up for it, that is truly a most welcome delight.