| The fact that you said this is a crowded pot lets me say that I would normally remove many of the old canes.
Remember I am commercial and customers do not like to see leafless canes. I remove a lot more than most. If the plant is big and lots of healthy canes the chance that the plant will ever need the old canes is minimal.
Trimming roots, removing old growth and dividing are everyday occurrences in a commercial setting.
__________________
jerry  |