How to Braid the Trunk of a Plant
An intricately braided plant trunk is a great conversation piece that you can take pride in as a novice or avid gardener. The intertwined stems give the look of painstaking skill, when all it really takes is a little time. Any plant with flexible stems makes a great specimen for stem braiding, with ficus being one of the most popular. Other plants, such as azaleas, give the added benefit of blooms atop the braided trunk.
Examine the vertical stems of the plant and choose three that will remain to be braided. Look for stems that are still flexible, meaning they bend easily when you pull them sideways. Cut off all other vertical stems at the soil level using hand pruners.
Grasp one of the remaining stems and cut off any side branches near the soil, using the hand pruners and making the cut as close to the stem as possible. Cut off all side stems two-thirds of the way up the stem. Do not cut off the upper side stems, as the plant needs some leaves to survive. Repeat the process to remove side stems from the other two vertical stems.
Grasp the center stem near the soil line and fold the right stem behind it gently. Hold the stem in place and bend the left stem to the right and behind the one that is now in the center. You have now created the first layer of the braid.
Repeat the braiding process until the braid extends all the way up the point where you stopped cutting the side stems.
Release the stems to determine if the braid will stay in place. If needed, tie a small piece of garden tape or a twist tie around the top to hold the braid in place. The tape or twist tie should only be tight enough to stay in place, but not so tight as to cut into the stems. If it is too tight, it may girdle the bark and kill the stem.
Wait one month and cut off the gardening tape or remove the twist tie. The stems will have formed to their new growing pattern and should stay in place. Prune off any side stems from the braided section, using pruning shears, to maintain the braid shape.
- It usually takes one full year before braided trunks are firmly established on the plant.
Kimberly Johnson is a freelance writer whose articles have appeared in various online publications including eHow, Suite101 and Examiner. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and began writing professionally in 2001.