Question

Botanical gardens and tea gardens, gardeners trim the plants regularly so that they remain bushy. Does this practice have any scientific explanation?

Answer 1

Apical dominance:

The phenomenon in which the growth of lateral buds gets inhibited due to the growth of apical bud is known as apical dominance. This is attributed to the action of auxin present in the apical regions of roots and shoots.


Trimming leads to a bushy appearance:

Shoot decapitation helps to remove the influence of auxin on the lateral buds. Hence, the dormant lateral buds become active and proliferate laterally making the plants bushy. This is widely used in hedge-making and tea plucking.