To cut or not to cut, this question arises with many plants - including the single leaf. Basically, it doesn't harm the plant if you use scissors. However, pruning is not absolutely necessary and is only for visual reasons.
How should I cut and care for my leaflet?
When cutting one leaf, dried and withered stems can be cut off directly above the ground. Important: Wear gloves as the leaf is poisonous and the sap can cause skin irritation. Instead of cutting, the plant can also be divided during repotting.
Cut out what has faded and dried out
Sometimes leaves and flower shoots dry up - after all, everything only has a certain lifespan and so at some point every beautiful flower and every previously green leaf turns unsightly brown and dried out. You can cut these stems off directly above the ground with sharp scissors and make your one-leaf look fresh again. However, the cut is not necessary. Instead, you can simply wait until the plant has extracted all of the remaining nutrients from the dead shoot - then it can be easily pulled out.
Be careful when cutting: one leaf is poisonous
However, be careful when cutting around the leaflet. Like all arum plants, the single leaf (botanically correct Spathiphyllum) is poisonous. Contact with the plant sap can cause redness and swelling, as well as a burning sensation. Therefore, wear gloves when cutting and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards. Make sure that no plant sap gets into your eyes!
Instead of cutting: simply divide large plants
Depending on the type and variety, single leaves can be quite tall and extensive. So that the plant does not exhaust its living capacity, you should from time to time divide it into several individual plants when repotting. This is possible without any problems and is a much more elegant solution than a simple pruning, which always leaves unsightly cutting scars. When sharing, do the following:
- Pot out the one leaf.
- Remove the excess soil and loosen the root ball with your fingers.
- Check where the bale can be separated.
- Each root part should have at least one strong shoot.
- Preferably separate runners.
- Separate the individual shoots along with their roots.
- If necessary, use a sharp knife.
- Check the roots for any damage.
- Plant the newly acquired plants in individual pots.
Tip
In contrast to many other plants, propagation via cuttings is usually not successful or is extremely difficult.