When Should You Trim Your Octopus Plant?

Clean the Plant Year Round

• Cleaning an octopus plant involves removing any dead, damaged or infested leaves any time you see them. Dying leaves do not feed the sundew and drain the octopus plant's energy. Dead and infested leaves harbor pathogens that may spread to the rest of the plant. Prune any compromised leaves off at their base as soon as you spot them. New leaves will quickly grow in their place.

Prune Octopus Plant Flowers in Spring

• A healthy octopus plant will produce a single flower stalk in spring. Some species of octopus plant have beautiful, colorful flowers with a lot of ornamental value. Once the octopus plant's flowers die off, the plant will start to produce a seed head. Seed production requires a lot of energy. If you do not plan on harvesting the seed, trim the flower stalk off at its base as soon as the flower fades. The octopus plant will divert energy to leaf production.

Trim the Octopus Plant While it Hibernates

• The octopus plant hibernates in winter from roughly November to February. While it hibernates, it is natural for it to suffer from some dieback. Some leaves will turn brown and wilt. Others will lose their sticky dew. Trim any compromised leaves back to their base as soon as you see them declining. The octopus plant is especially vulnerable to infection while it hibernates. Once the octopus plant comes out of dormancy in early spring, new leaves will grow in quickly.

Clean Your Pruning Shears

• Octopus plants need humid conditions to grow. Unfortunately, so do many plant diseases. Trimming your octopus plant results in wounds in the plant through which pathogens easily enter. To prevent infestation, wipe your pruning shears down with rubbing alcohol before and after each pruning cut. And make sure that they're sharp, because dull shears leave behind jagged wounds that are more prone to infestation.