Cut, Keep, or Propagate?

Maya Collins Gardening A 60-second plant check

Look before the shears close.

Dead, useful, or worth propagating? Let the tissue, structure, and method decide.

Young pear tree with a living branch, a small dry twig, and pruning shears waiting on a potting bench
01 Tissue02 Structure03 Method
Read the plant first

Three clues change the next move.

Leafless does not always mean dead, and healthy does not always mean “make a cutting.”

Botanical comparison of a dry twig, a firm orchid cane with a live eye, and a tomato stem supported to a stake
Use the picture to start an inspection; plant identity and condition still matter.
RemoveDry or damagedBrittle tissue, a break, or confirmed disease points toward a clean cut.
RetainFirm and usefulA live bud or healthy flexible stem may deserve support or more time.
InvestigateHealthy + suitablePropagation needs viable material and a method that fits the plant.
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