When it comes time to water your American pokeweed, you should not be shy about how much water you give. With the first two to three inches of soil dry, this plant will appreciate a long and thorough watering. Supply enough water to soak the soil entirely. The amount of water you add should be enough to cause excess water to flow through the drainage holes at the bottom of your pot. If you don’t see excess water draining from the pot, you have likely underwatered your plant. But do not let the water accumulate inside the soil, which will be very dangerous to the plant as well. Alternatively, a lack of water draining through the pot could indicate poorly draining soils, which is detrimental to the health of this plant and should be avoided. If the plant is outside, 1 inch of rain per week will be sufficient.

If your plant is in a pot. The most precise way to decide whether your American pokeweed needs water is to plunge your finger into the soil. If you notice that the first two to three inches of soil have become dry, it is time to add some water.

If you grow your American pokeweed outdoors in the ground, you can use a similar method to test the soil. Again, when you find that the first few inches of soil have dried out, it is time to add water. During the spring and early fall, this method will often lead you to water this plant about once every week. When extremely hot weather arrives, you may need to increase your watering frequency to about twice or more per week. With that said, mature, well-established the American pokeweed can show an admirable ability to withstand drought.

The water needs of the American pokeweed can change depending on growth stages as well. For example, when your American pokeweed is in the first few years of its life, or if you have just transplanted it to a new growing location, you will need to give more water than usual. During both of those stages, your American pokeweed will put a lot of energy towards sprouting new roots that will then support future growth. For those roots to perform their best, they need a bit more moisture than they would at a more mature phase. After a few seasons, your American pokeweed will need much less water. Another growth stage in which this plant may need more water is during the bloom period. Flower development can make use of a significant amount of moisture, which is why you might need to give your American pokeweed more water at this time.

The American pokeweed will have its highest water needs during the hottest months of the year. During the height of summer, you may need to give this plant water more than once per week, depending on how fast the soil dries out. The opposite is true during the winter. In winter, your plant will enter a dormant phase, in which it will need far less water than usual. In fact, you may not need to water this plant at all during the winter months. However, if you do water during winter, you should not do so more than about once per month. Watering too much at this time will make it more likely that your American pokeweed will contract a disease.

When watering the American pokeweed, you should aim to use filtered water that is at room temperature. Filtered water is better for this plant, as tap water can contain particles that are harmful to its health. The reason that the water should be at room temperature or slightly warmer is that the American pokeweed comes from a warm environment, and cold water can be somewhat of a shock to its system. Also, you should avoid overhead watering for this plant, as it can cause foliage complications. Instead, simply apply your filtered room temperature water to the soil until the soil is entirely soaked. Soaking the soil can be very beneficial for this plant as it moistens the roots and helps them continue to spread through the soil and collect the nutrients they need.

It is most common to grow the American pokeweed indoors for any gardener that does not live in temperate and tropical regions. Those gardeners should consider the fact that soil in a container can dry out a bit faster than ground soil. Also, the presence of drying elements such as air conditioning units can cause your American pokeweed to need water on a more frequent basis as well. if you planted it outside. When that is the case, it’s likely you won’t need to water your American pokeweed very much at all. If you receive rainfall on a regular basis, that may be enough to keep your plant alive. Alternatively, those who grow this plant inside will need to water it more often, as allowing rainwater to soak the soil will not be an option.

Both overwatering and underwatering will be detrimental to the health of your American pokeweed, but overwatering is a far more common issue. When this species receives too much water, its stems and leaves may begin to wilt and turn from green to yellow. Overwatering over a prolonged period may also lead to diseases such as root rot, mold, and mildew, all of which can kill your plant. Underwatering is far less common for the American pokeweed, as this plant has decent drought tolerance. However, underwatering remains a possibility, and when it occurs, you can expect to find that the leaves of your American pokeweed have become brittle and brown.

It is crucial that you notice the signs of overwatering as soon as possible when caring for your American pokeweed. Some of the diseases that arise from overwatering, such as root rot, may not be correctable if you wait too long. If you see early signs of overwatering, you should reduce your watering schedule immediately. You may also want to assess the quality of soil in which your American pokeweed grows. If you find that the soil drains very poorly, you should replace it immediately with a loose, well-draining potting mix. On the other hand, if you find signs that your American pokeweed is receiving too little water, all you need to do is water more regularly until those signs have subsided.

American pokeweed does not need a lot of maintenance including pruning, which is part of what makes it such a popular choice. Most often, American pokeweed is pruned to remove damaged or dead branches. You may also choose to remove some branches to improve the appearance of the American pokeweed or to improve clearance under it. If there are branches that are very crowded together, air flow may be restricted. Any branches that are rubbing together could wear away the bark and allow disease or insects to penetrate the American pokeweed, so those branches are also good candidates for pruning.

The first step is deciding where to cut. It is a good idea to identify which branches you want to prune before taking other steps so you know which tools you need and have a plan from the beginning. You may want to mark branches with string or tape so you don’t forget where you had planned to prune each branch.

After you have decided where to cut, prepare the tools. Many American pokeweed branches are thin and delicate, so you may be able to use regular pruning shears. If there are larger branches, you should use loppers or a pruning saw. A pole saw may be necessary if the branches are higher up. Your cutting implement should be sterilized with disinfectant or a diluted bleach solution before use and between cuts to avoid introducing pathogens to the wound when pruning. Also be sure to wear protective gear to avoid injuring yourself during this process.

Removing large branches (structural pruning) from your American pokeweed is best done during the dormant period in the winter, while late winter or early spring is the best time for minor maintenance pruning. The ideal timing is when the American pokeweed has developed buds but the buds have not opened yet. This timing makes it easy for you to find which branches are not productive and should be removed, since those branches won’t have any buds. Pruning at the beginning of the growing season allows the plant to have the whole summer to devote to putting new growth into the remaining branches, flowers, and leaves.

You can also prune it into a shape you like, but don't prune over 1/4 of the healthy branches and leaves of the American pokeweed. Over pruning will hinder the normal and healthy growth of this plant. Please make sure that the cuts are clean and tidy.

When American pokeweed grows, if there is aging yellowing leaves and diseased leaves, you need to prune the bottom of the yellowing aging leaves and leaves with spots caused by the infection of disease. Pruning can effectively reduce the infection of disease. Even if the number of leaves with infections is relatively large, you should not prune more than 30% of the total number of leaves to avoid affecting the growth of American pokeweed.

Remove no more than 30% of the volume of the American pokeweed when pruning. Pruning too much at once can leave the American pokeweed vulnerable to shock. This plant does not tolerate being cut back severely and may not recover. Don’t prune young American pokeweed unless it is to remove a dead or damaged branch.

In between cuts, step back and check the appearance of the American pokeweed and be sure that you are satisfied with the progress. If you trim too much at once, there’s no way to restore the cut branches, so be conservative with your approach. One of the charms of American pokeweed is its graceful, natural appearance, so you may want to embrace some of the “imperfections” inherent to how it grows.

Removing large branches (structural pruning) from the American pokeweed is best done during the dormant period in the winter, while late winter or early spring is the best time for minor maintenance pruning. The ideal timing is when the American pokeweed has developed buds but the buds have not opened yet. This timing makes it easy for you to find which branches are not productive and should be removed, since those branches won’t have any buds. Pruning at the beginning of the growing season allows the American pokeweed to have the whole summer to devote to putting new growth into the remaining branches, flowers, and leaves.
You can also prune it into a shape you like, but don't prune over 1/4 of the healthy branches and leaves of the American pokeweed. Over pruning will hinder the normal and healthy growth of this plant. Please make sure that the cuts are clean and tidy.

When American pokeweed grows, if there is aging yellowing leaves and diseased leaves, you need to prune the bottom of the yellowing aging leaves and leaves with spots caused by the infection of disease. Pruning can effectively reduce the infection of disease. Even if the number of leaves with infections is relatively large, you should not prune more than 30% of the total number of leaves to avoid affecting the growth of American pokeweed.