Definition

1. Verb:
   • To top (a plant): The primary meaning of "gạt ngọn" is the horticultural practice of removing the top part or terminal bud of a plant. This is done to encourage bushier growth, control height, or improve yield.
   • To prune the tips: It refers specifically to cutting off the new, tender growth at the ends of branches or stems.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Người làm vườn khuyên nên gạt ngọn cà chua để cây ra nhiều quả hơn. (The gardener advised topping the tomato plants to make them bear more fruit.)
  • Cây hồ tiêu cần được gạt ngọn đúng thời điểm. (Pepper plants need to have their tips pruned at the right time.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is almost exclusively used in agricultural, gardening, and botanical contexts. It describes a specific, deliberate action for plant management.

Variants and Related Words

• Tỉa cành (v): to prune branches. This is a broader term for general pruning.
• Bấm ngọn (v): to pinch off the tip. This is a very similar, often interchangeable action, typically done by hand for smaller plants.

Synonyms

• To top: to remove the top of a plant.
• To prune the tips: to cut off the ends of growing shoots.
• To pinch back: (especially for herbs or small plants) to remove the terminal bud to promote branching.

Related Idioms

• There are no common idioms directly using the phrase "gạt ngọn."