How to Prune Curry Leaf Plant – Use a sharp pruning tool to remove any old leaves. Make a diagonal cut of at least 1/3rd from the top (branches by 1/3) in order to make the plant stronger and bushier. The most important thing to do when making curry leaves bushy is to prune the plant branches.
Pruning the plant will result in more branches. More leaves can be obtained by pruning. When the branches are young, pinch the tips to make multiple branches. This will encourage the plant to produce curry leaves quickly and efficiently. You will harvest more leaves when you harvest them. For best growth, prune your curry leaves plants in spring.
The more you harvest, the bushier the plant will be.
Contents
When should you prune curry leaf plant?
From Seed – You can propagate curry leaf trees by planting seed, but keep in mind that this isn’t a quick process. It can take two years before your plant becomes established enough for you to start harvesting the leaves regularly. 
Purchase fresh dried seeds for the best chance of germination. Older seeds don’t germinate well. Remove the hard outer shells by rubbing the seeds, which are actually the pits of the berries, between your hands. If that doesn’t work, put the seeds in a plastic bag and roll a rolling pin over them.
- If you’re using fresh berries, soak them for 24 hours to extract the seed inside.
- After soaking, you can gently rub off the flesh and pulp that surrounds the seed.
- To start seeds indoors, sow them a third of an inch deep in potting soil and keep it moist.
- You can cover the container with plastic wrap with holes poked in it to help retain moisture, effectively creating a mini greenhouse.
Seeds need a soil temperature of at least 68°F to germinate, so use a heat mat if necessary. The germination rate of these seeds is pretty low, so try planting several seeds per tray cell to improve your chances of producing a healthy plant. After the seedlings emerge, thin them out to one seedling per cell as needed.
Outdoors, sow directly into the ground when daytime temperatures are consistently above 65°F. Standard sized plants should be planted four to five feet apart or the same distance away from any structures. Keep the soil moist until the seedlings emerge, in about two to three weeks. When your curry leaf plant is about six months old, it’s time to start pruning.
When a healthy seedling has formed six or more branches with several developed leaves on each, pinch back or prune two of the branches to encourage bushier growth. The goal is to encourage the plant to become bushy with lots of offshoots rather than spindly and tall.
How do you prune overgrown curry?
Curry Plant Pruning – Like other herbs, especially other woody herbs, curry plants benefit from regular pruning. They have a tendency to become bushy and to spread, so pruning is necessary if you want to keep your curry plant somewhat compact, Gardeners’ World notes.
- Whenever you are pruning, disinfect your tools before use with household cleaners, bleach or isopropyl alcohol and make sure they are sharp.
- If you are pruning a plant with powdery mildew or any other kind of disease or pest issue, disinfect your tools after pruning affected parts of the plant and before continuing.
Using tools to prune that haven’t been cleaned or properly sharpened can invite disease and pest issues. As Good Life Permaculture describes, woody herbs – like rosemary, curry plant, oregano and more – can become especially woody and sparse at their bases if left unpruned.
For periodic, drastic curry plant pruning, cut most of the plant close to the ground; for regular maintenance pruning, cut back about a third of the plant (or less, depending on how quickly it is growing). You should prune when the plant is relatively dormant; in other words, do not prune in early spring when the plant is actively growing.
Generally, if you prune more than a third of a plant at any given time, you risk killing it; however, mature, established curry plants can likely handle a drastic cut every once in a while to encourage new, fresh growth.
How often should you water curry leaves plant?
Watering – Never overwater your curry leaf plant as that kills them really fast. In the summer, water the plant every 2-3 days and keep tabs on small mites. In the fall season, watering is needed only on weekly basis.
Does curry leaf plant grow from cutting?
How to Plant Curry Leaf Plant – Curry plants can be propagated from cuttings or seed, though the seed germination process is a challenging task. To grow from cuttings, just take a leaf, or a set of leaves, with a petiole or stem attached. If you can cut from a curry tree or shrub yourself, take a piece of stem that is at least three inches long and has several leaves.
Remove leaves from the bottom inch of your cutting and insert the stem into a soilless potting mix, burying just the single inch of bare stem under the soil. Mist the cutting thoroughly immediately after planting and keep conditions warm and moist for the first three weeks until the plant takes root.
Growing curry plants from cutting is much easier than attempting to grow from seed. The seed of the curry leaf plant is actual pit of the fruit, which can be peeled and cleaned, or the fruit can actually be sown directly into the soil without all the effort.
- Be sure to acquire fresh seeds for a better success rate.
- Sow your curry plant seeds in regular potting soil and keep the conditions moist, but not wet.
- The seeds will need the waterings to remain consistent and evenly distributed, as well as a temperature of at least 68 degrees in order to germinate.
Amend the soil to improve drainage if necessary. The success rate for seed germination is not very high, so try not to get discouraged if you don’t succeed right off the bat.
Why do curry leaves fall off?
Growing and Cooking with Curry Leaf (Murraya koenigii) Growing and Cooking with Curry Leaf (Murraya koenigii) By Laurelynn Martin and Byron Martin
Curry Leaf makes a wonderful potted plant for your culinary collection of aromatic herbs. The fragrant leaf has a nutty, pungent flavor and is a prized addition to South Indian foods. Logee’s Curry Leaf plant is highly valued by both the chef and gardener.
- History Curry Leaf is native to India and is used in delicious Indian, Asian and Thai dishes throughout the world.
- Believe it or not, murraya is from the citrus family (Rutacaea).
- It has been used for centuries in Ayruvedic medicine for its antidiabetic, antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Growth Habit Logee’s Curry Leaf plant has an upright and open growth habit, Plantwhich means that the branches have a somewhat “loose” appearance. As an indoor plant in temperate areas, Curry Leaf grows and flowers from spring through fall. In the north, it can experience a resting period during the winter months when the days are short.
Sometimes, leaves will drop. Don’t worry. This is normal. Sun and Temperature For best results, grow in full sun and keep temperatures above 40°F. If grown in warm conditions with high light intensity, Curry Leaf will experience less of a winter resting period. Soil During the winter resting period, do not keep the plant too wet, especially if the leaves have dropped.
Too much water will tend to promote root disease (root rot). During the warmer months, keep the plant on the dry side. Let the soil come to visual dryness before watering. We recommend growing in clay pots so the roots stay healthy. Use a well-drained potting mix.
- This allows necessary moisture to reach the plant while at the same time maintaining good aeration in the soil.
- We have also found that a slightly acidic soil keeps the plant healthy.
- Regular applications of fertilizer are helpful to stimulate plant growth.
- You can top dress with organic fertilizer every 6 weeks or apply a liquid fertilizer at half the recommended dosage once a week during the active growing season.
Winter Dormancy Curry Leaf can experience interveinal yellowing (chlorosis) on its leaves during the wintertime. Cool temperatures seem to be the major factor for this leaf problem. It often indicates that the plant may be getting ready to go into dormancy.
If you increase the temperatures, you can slow or prevent dormancy or loss of leaves. If your Curry Leaf plant loses its leaves and only has a bare stem, cut back on watering and wait for winter to end. Your plant is fine. It’s simply resting. The leaves will re-grow in spring. Pests and Disease Curry Leaf typically doesn’t get many pests.
It can get foliar or citrus mealy bug. To organically treat mealy bug, we recommend using neem oil, which smothers the bugs. Also, concurrently you must use high-pressure water to dislodge the cottony mass, which is where the adults, crawlers and eggs of the mealy bugs hide.
Repeated applications of neem oil are needed. Propagation & Pruning The easiest way to propagate Curry Leaf is by seed. It takes a year or two to get the seedlings established. We ship seedlings but take great care in pinching them (pruning the growing tips) when they are young so they will make a multi-branched specimen giving you more leaves to harvest.
Plants that are older and have an open shape can be pruned early in the season just as growth starts and they will still flower later in the year. We recommend pruning annually to keep your plant tight, compact and producing the greatest amount of tasty foliage.
- As mentioned above, when plants are young, pinch the growing tips to start forming a bushy plant.
- Cooking with Curry Leaf Curry leaves are an essential ingredient in most savory South Indian soup recipes.
- They are highly valued in curries or with coconut milk.
- In Cambodia, the leaves are toasted on an open flame and then crushed and sprinkled into soups.
As with most aromatic herbs harvesting them fresh is always best. They have a short shelf life in the refrigerator and lose much of their flavor if dried. Curry leaf is not the same as curry powder (that is a mixture of spices such as coriander, cumin, fenugreek and chilies).
Why do curry leaves curl up?
Sunlight – Too little sunlight exposure is often the main contributor to why home-grown curry plants die. These plants need sunlight daily to thrive. Before purchasing a curry plant, it’s helpful to know where exactly you’ll place the plant in your home or outside of your home to ensure that it gets the sunlight that it needs. 
How do you use Epsom salt for curry leaves?
– Epsom salt consists of magnesium and sulfur, which are great for the curry leaf plant’s growth. It also enhances the production of chlorophyll in the leaves and imparts green color to the leaves. How to Use : Mix two tablespoons of Epsom salt in 2 liters of water. Mix well and pour the solution into the plant base. You can also spray the solution on the leaves.
How do you prune leggy?
How to Prune a Leggy Houseplant – You’ve solved the light problem, but is there any way to tame the legginess once it’s already happened? Yes—you can cut leggy plants back to encourage new stems to sprout, restoring your plants to lushness. Trim any exceptionally long, lanky stems, removing a third of their length and snipping just above a node (the point where leaves grow from the stem).
Can we use Epsom salt for curry leaf plant?
Commonly Asked Questions about Fertilizing Curry Leaf Plant – 
Questions about Fertilizing Curry Leaf Plant (pic source: pixabay ) Is spoiled milk good for curry leaf plants? Any type of milk, including fresh, expired, evaporated, and even powdered, can be used for a plant as long as it’s diluted properly. Mix the milk with water in a 50-50 ratio and then pour it into a spray bottle.
- Watering down the milk is very essential to ensure it benefits plants, rather than destroying those plants.
- How can I make curry leaves grow very faster? Dissolve nearly about 1 teaspoon of Epsom salt that means magnesium sulphate in 1-liter water and then feed to the curry leaf plant when it is dry.
Give Epsom salt every 3 months. Your curry leaf plant will grow very faster and very well. The plant will grow green leaves throughout the spring, summer, and even fall. Can I water curry leaf plants with tea? Brew yourself a pot of tea with nearly 1 or 2 tea bags.
Does curry leaf plant like sun or shade?
1. How much sunlight does a curry leaf plant need? – Curry leaves plant grows best in about 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight. Therefore, make sure the area where you want to place the plant has good airflow and direct sunlight for most of the day. During the hot months of summer, the curry leaf plant should be moved to the part sun area.
If the plant does not get enough sunlight, it will not grow properly. Without enough light, the plant will not be able to produce enough food to survive. As a result, the curry leaves may turn pale yellow or fall off the plant. Additionally, the leaves loses the aroma and may become thin and pointy. Does that mean you can’t grow a curry leaf plant if you live in an apartment or your balcony does not get 6 hours of sun? No, not necessarily.
If you plan to keep the curry leaves plant indoors, consider investing in good indoor grow light, Your curry leaf plant will be happy and thriving indoors!
Why are my curry plant leaves turning yellow?
Why do the leaves on my curry leaf tree turn yellow? – The curry leaf tree is generally a hardy plant, but its leaves may turn yellow when the plant is under stressful conditions. Yellowing leaves that eventually drop off are a sign that you may be overwatering or underwatering your curry leaf tree,
- Only water as needed and allow the soil to dry out before watering your plants again.
- Yellow leaves on your curry leaf tree may also be a sign of deficiency; there could be an insufficient amount of sulfur or nitrogen in the soil.
- If that is the case, apply a Sulphate of Ammonia (SOA) fertilizer to address the issue.
Using a good mulch can also be beneficial.
How do you take care of curry leaves in the winter?
Growing and Cooking with Curry Leaf (Murraya koenigii) Growing and Cooking with Curry Leaf (Murraya koenigii) By Laurelynn Martin and Byron Martin
Curry Leaf makes a wonderful potted plant for your culinary collection of aromatic herbs. The fragrant leaf has a nutty, pungent flavor and is a prized addition to South Indian foods. Logee’s Curry Leaf plant is highly valued by both the chef and gardener.
History Curry Leaf is native to India and is used in delicious Indian, Asian and Thai dishes throughout the world. Believe it or not, murraya is from the citrus family (Rutacaea). It has been used for centuries in Ayruvedic medicine for its antidiabetic, antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Growth Habit Logee’s Curry Leaf plant has an upright and open growth habit, Plantwhich means that the branches have a somewhat “loose” appearance. As an indoor plant in temperate areas, Curry Leaf grows and flowers from spring through fall. In the north, it can experience a resting period during the winter months when the days are short.
- Sometimes, leaves will drop.
- Don’t worry.
- This is normal.
- Sun and Temperature For best results, grow in full sun and keep temperatures above 40°F.
- If grown in warm conditions with high light intensity, Curry Leaf will experience less of a winter resting period.
- Soil During the winter resting period, do not keep the plant too wet, especially if the leaves have dropped.
Too much water will tend to promote root disease (root rot). During the warmer months, keep the plant on the dry side. Let the soil come to visual dryness before watering. We recommend growing in clay pots so the roots stay healthy. Use a well-drained potting mix.
- This allows necessary moisture to reach the plant while at the same time maintaining good aeration in the soil.
- We have also found that a slightly acidic soil keeps the plant healthy.
- Regular applications of fertilizer are helpful to stimulate plant growth.
- You can top dress with organic fertilizer every 6 weeks or apply a liquid fertilizer at half the recommended dosage once a week during the active growing season.
Winter Dormancy Curry Leaf can experience interveinal yellowing (chlorosis) on its leaves during the wintertime. Cool temperatures seem to be the major factor for this leaf problem. It often indicates that the plant may be getting ready to go into dormancy.
If you increase the temperatures, you can slow or prevent dormancy or loss of leaves. If your Curry Leaf plant loses its leaves and only has a bare stem, cut back on watering and wait for winter to end. Your plant is fine. It’s simply resting. The leaves will re-grow in spring. Pests and Disease Curry Leaf typically doesn’t get many pests.
It can get foliar or citrus mealy bug. To organically treat mealy bug, we recommend using neem oil, which smothers the bugs. Also, concurrently you must use high-pressure water to dislodge the cottony mass, which is where the adults, crawlers and eggs of the mealy bugs hide.
Repeated applications of neem oil are needed. Propagation & Pruning The easiest way to propagate Curry Leaf is by seed. It takes a year or two to get the seedlings established. We ship seedlings but take great care in pinching them (pruning the growing tips) when they are young so they will make a multi-branched specimen giving you more leaves to harvest.
Plants that are older and have an open shape can be pruned early in the season just as growth starts and they will still flower later in the year. We recommend pruning annually to keep your plant tight, compact and producing the greatest amount of tasty foliage.
As mentioned above, when plants are young, pinch the growing tips to start forming a bushy plant. Cooking with Curry Leaf Curry leaves are an essential ingredient in most savory South Indian soup recipes. They are highly valued in curries or with coconut milk. In Cambodia, the leaves are toasted on an open flame and then crushed and sprinkled into soups.
As with most aromatic herbs harvesting them fresh is always best. They have a short shelf life in the refrigerator and lose much of their flavor if dried. Curry leaf is not the same as curry powder (that is a mixture of spices such as coriander, cumin, fenugreek and chilies).
Can curry leaves survive winter?
Temperature & Humidity – Temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 degrees Celcius) are not conducive to the growth of the curry leaf plant. In general, the environment should be 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celcius) or warmer. It can withstand mild freezing temperatures, but it requires a lot of attention in the winter.
Does curry leaf plant grow from cutting?
How to Plant Curry Leaf Plant – Curry plants can be propagated from cuttings or seed, though the seed germination process is a challenging task. To grow from cuttings, just take a leaf, or a set of leaves, with a petiole or stem attached. If you can cut from a curry tree or shrub yourself, take a piece of stem that is at least three inches long and has several leaves.
Remove leaves from the bottom inch of your cutting and insert the stem into a soilless potting mix, burying just the single inch of bare stem under the soil. Mist the cutting thoroughly immediately after planting and keep conditions warm and moist for the first three weeks until the plant takes root.
Growing curry plants from cutting is much easier than attempting to grow from seed. The seed of the curry leaf plant is actual pit of the fruit, which can be peeled and cleaned, or the fruit can actually be sown directly into the soil without all the effort.
- Be sure to acquire fresh seeds for a better success rate.
- Sow your curry plant seeds in regular potting soil and keep the conditions moist, but not wet.
- The seeds will need the waterings to remain consistent and evenly distributed, as well as a temperature of at least 68 degrees in order to germinate.
Amend the soil to improve drainage if necessary. The success rate for seed germination is not very high, so try not to get discouraged if you don’t succeed right off the bat.
