When and how do I trim/cut these 3 plants? Do I need to trim back or just leave them?
Herbaceous - Campanula persicifolia
Alpine - Saxifrage (mossy)
Herbaceous - Dianthus (moulin rouge)
Any help would be appreciated as they looked great this season.
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rainbowgardener
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I had to look it up. Yeovil is a town in Somerset, England, right? (unless you are in the yeovil in south africa, but I'm guessing Somerset).
Can you tell us state-side folks a little more about what your climate is like? Does it stay frozen much of the winter?
But all of these are hardy plants. The saxifrage being an extremely cold hardy and low growing plant, I wouldn't do anything to.
The other two would probably benefit from some mulch applied after you have had some freezing. You can cut the carnation back a little bit, but it is evergreen and blooms on old growth, so don't cut it back hard. The bellflower, wait until late winter or very early spring and then cut it down to the ground to make way for new growth.
Can you tell us state-side folks a little more about what your climate is like? Does it stay frozen much of the winter?
But all of these are hardy plants. The saxifrage being an extremely cold hardy and low growing plant, I wouldn't do anything to.
The other two would probably benefit from some mulch applied after you have had some freezing. You can cut the carnation back a little bit, but it is evergreen and blooms on old growth, so don't cut it back hard. The bellflower, wait until late winter or very early spring and then cut it down to the ground to make way for new growth.
thanks rainbowgardener
Yes england UK, no frost yet but very imminent. Gets cold (-4 or up to 6 or7 in november/dec/jan)
I bought these from local supplier in march and have done well.
I am hopeless for knowledge but would like to see these again flowering next year.
What is mulch ? (I told u I was useless
Carnation - cut back a little , I am guessing to cut it down to about 20 cms?
Top class information , thankyou very much.
Yes england UK, no frost yet but very imminent. Gets cold (-4 or up to 6 or7 in november/dec/jan)
I bought these from local supplier in march and have done well.
I am hopeless for knowledge but would like to see these again flowering next year.
What is mulch ? (I told u I was useless
Carnation - cut back a little , I am guessing to cut it down to about 20 cms?
Top class information , thankyou very much.
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CharlieBear
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- Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:19 pm
- Location: Pacific NW
Most woody herbs are cut back at least 1/3 in the fall after they bloom etc so they don't get too woody and stop producing. Some like lavender are cut back as much as 1/2. All this assumes you haven't been giving it too much of a haircut during the growing season.
As for mulch that would be leaves, pineneedles etc. The reason is to keep the ground from freezing as hard or far down. It gives a little extra protection for the crown during cold winters. If you mulch keep it about 2-3 cm from the woody stock of the plant to avoid crown rot.
Note, I have cut them back very, very early in the spring once when it was imposible to get it done in the late fall.
As for mulch that would be leaves, pineneedles etc. The reason is to keep the ground from freezing as hard or far down. It gives a little extra protection for the crown during cold winters. If you mulch keep it about 2-3 cm from the woody stock of the plant to avoid crown rot.
Note, I have cut them back very, very early in the spring once when it was imposible to get it done in the late fall.