How to prune joseph's coat plant

Spring through summer for ongoing shearing; early spring for hard cutback. Shear the entire plant lightly with scissors or hedge shears to maintain a compact mound, or pinch individual stem tips to encourage branching. Cut back by one-third to one-half in early spring to rejuvenate.

Light trim every 3–4 weeks during growing season; hard cutback once annually. Joseph's Coat (Alternanthera ficoidea) is a fast-growing foliage plant that needs frequent trimming to stay dense and colourful. Unpruned plants become straggly, with the best colour fading on older stems. Shear or pinch lightly and often during the growing season. Cut back harder in early spring.

Shear the entire plant lightly with scissors or hedge shears to maintain a compact mound, or pinch individual stem tips to encourage branching. Cut back by one-third to one-half in early spring to rejuvenate.