Mon, 22 Jun 2009
Summer deadheading and pruning
Now that it's getting hot in austin and most of the perennials are finishing their first spring bloom, it's time to cut them back! I love the summer pruning time. When you cut back perennials at this time you are taking off dead blooms and encouraging the plants to grow more busy. Try removing the top 1/3 of your mexican bush sage, salvia gaurantica 'black and blue', salvia gaurantica 'majestic', copper canyon daisy, indigo spires salvia, turk's cap, and anything else that blooms in the spring and fall that gets about 2 feet or taller. If you do this summer pruning you'll notice that the plants stay shorter and bushier which will keep them from falling over or splitting open in the fall. They will also have more vigo and will look more robust in the late summer. If it's too hot outside for you then don't bother.
In July, it's a good idea to trim your skullcap, oregano and salvia gregii.
posted at: 15:58 | path: /colleen2009 | link for this entry
Summer deadheading and pruning
Now that it's getting hot in austin and most of the perennials are finishing their first spring bloom, it's time to cut them back! I love the summer pruning time. When you cut back perennials at this time you are taking off dead blooms and encouraging the plants to grow more busy. Try removing the top 1/3 of your mexican bush sage, salvia gaurantica 'black and blue', salvia gaurantica 'majestic', copper canyon daisy, indigo spires salvia, turk's cap, and anything else that blooms in the spring and fall that gets about 2 feet or taller. If you do this summer pruning you'll notice that the plants stay shorter and bushier which will keep them from falling over or splitting open in the fall. They will also have more vigo and will look more robust in the late summer. If it's too hot outside for you then don't bother.
In July, it's a good idea to trim your skullcap, oregano and salvia gregii.
posted at: 15:54 | path: /colleen2009 | link for this entry