How to Prune a Blood Tree

There are more than 40 species of bloodworms, and you can easily prune them all with garden shears with just a few cuts! Although not required, pruning is fun and gives you control over the shape of the tree. You can prune leaves and branches to make the tree shorter and more luxuriant if you like. Prune in early spring and late summer, always using clean, sharp pruning shears.

Table of Contents

Tactical tree pruning

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Prune the tree in the spring before it enters the growing season. From April to May, the cycads will come out of their dormant state and are ready to enter the blooming season. Pruning done before the growing season will help keep the tree healthy, and it will be easier for the tree to maintain its ideal shape. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Although you can prune your cycads at any time, this is the right time to prune to encourage healthy new shoots.

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Prune the tree again in late summer, when the growing period has passed. Remove leaves and/or branches again at the end of August after the growing season. From fall to winter, the tree is dormant and does not grow leaves or grow larger. To help the plant conserve energy, remove long leaves or branches before the plant enters a dormant state. ^{[2] X Research Source}

This way, your cycads can preserve nutrients and stay healthy during the cold months.

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Use a sharp and clean garden knife or scissors when pruning. You should always use a sharp knife or pruning pliers. Blunt tools can injure the tree and make it harder for the tree to heal. Before cutting the tree, wipe the pruners with rubbing alcohol or an all-purpose disinfectant. Dirty blades can spread disease and bacteria. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

This step will help the tree stay healthy between pruning.
You can also use garden shears instead of pruning shears.

Pruning leaves

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Use your hands to peel off the brown or yellow parts of the leaves. If you see any unhealthy leaves, you can simply discard them with your hands. Remove the leaves from the discolored area so that only the parts that are still green are left. Look around the plant and remove the yellowed parts. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

You can use garden shears instead of your hands if you find it easier to cut with scissors.
This step will beautify the tree and reduce the risk of disease.

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Cut the leaves to resemble other leaves if you want the plant to have a uniform shape. If you want the leaves to look nice and balanced, cut the leaves diagonally. Simulate the shape of other intact leaves so that the leaves have a natural shape. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

If you do it this way, you won’t even be able to tell which are the trimmed leaves!

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Cut off all damaged leaves sprouting from the base of the branch. The twigs of the bloodweed tree are also the trunks of the tree. You can manually separate the leaves from the branches and use garden shears to cut the leaves off. Do the same for all wilted and browned leaves you find. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Cut as close to the branch as possible.

Cut branches

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Cut off the branch if it grows out, damaging the shape of the tree or you want to stimulate the tree to sprout on the top of the tree. Species of cycads usually have one main branch and several subsidiary branches. If one of these branches is sticking out and not looking good, use pruners to cut off the entire branch or trim it to the desired height. The branch will grow new shoots at the height you just cut. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Although this is an optional step, it will help keep the tree in a neat and beautiful shape.

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Trim the top of the main branch to create a neat and lush tree shape. If you want to have a small and round sycamore tree, use pruners to cut the top of the tree. Depending on the height you want to cut the top of the tree, but you can cut ¼ to ¾ the length of the entire branch. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

This step helps stimulate new shoots to grow near the top of the cut tree.

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Avoid cutting branches if you want the tree to have a full natural shape. Remember that pruning is not required. If you want your sycamore tree to look full and attractive, you can let it grow freely throughout the season and only prune the following year if you like. Just let the branches grow and see where the buds form. You can tweak the bloodline tree to your liking. ^{[9] X Research Source}

However, once the tree has reached the ceiling, you should at least prune the leaves!

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Cut at a 45-degree angle to keep the plant healthy. Observe the branch to see how it grows and position the pruners so that the branch is cut at a 45-degree angle. Press the pliers quickly to make a sharp cut. ^{[10] X Research Source}

This reduces the risk of infection and helps the plant heal faster.
If you want to replant the newly cut branches, cut across the branches after cutting at a 45-degree angle.

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Cut the branches to the desired height. Pruning the blood tree is a personal preference. You can cut the entire tree branch if you want to reduce the total number of branches, or cut off half of the branch if you want the tree to be more compact at the top. ^{[11] X Research Source}

There are no clear rules for pruning cycads.

Things you need

Tree pruning pliers
Garden scissors
Cleaning alcohol

Advice

Blood lust is an easy to care for, strong and hardy plant. Don’t be afraid to cut off its leaves or branches!
The blood example tree is also known as the dragon blood tree or the dragon blood tree. ^{[12] X Research Source}
After pruning the leaves and cutting the branches, you can put them in a pot of water if you want to plant them. You can plant these branches with the mother plant or give them to friends. These leaves can also be used as compost. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Warning

The plant is toxic to cats and dogs.

Steps