Cutting Back Coreopsis

[dtownjbrown6262]

When is the "right" time to cut back Coreopsis for a repeat bloom? I purchased two Moonbeam plants a couple of days ago but didnt put them into the ground until today. The plant was extremely floriferous when I purchased them, but I just thought it was because it hadnt bloomed all the way out yet (there were quite a few flowers on the ends but not every single branch had them). Today, I noticed that there were alot more "brown buds" on the tips (where the flowers used to be). I read somewhere that if you cut it back after the "first" bloom, then it would rebloom later in the season. Problem is, I don't know if the plant had already passed its first bloom when I purchased it or if it had already been "cut back" by the garden center. Can it be cut back more than once and still continue to rebloom?

[Kisal]

I would go ahead and cut back all the stems that have finished blooming. This is called "deadheading" and result in the production of more flowers.

[dtownjbrown6262]

I would go ahead and cut back all the stems that have finished blooming.

Should I only cut the "ends" off (just below the tip of where the blooms have turned brown)?

Or should I cut off the "whole" branch (even if there are some non-brown, unopened buds)?

Thanks

[Kisal]

No, you'll want to cut back part of the stem, too, anywhere from 3 to 6 inches, depending on how tall your plants are. Otherwise the cut-off stems are obvious, and give the plant a kind of odd appearance -- all those flowerless "sticks" sticking up, you know!

[Luvasiamese2]

Hi. I have LOTS of coreopsis.... it sure does take over... hehehe If you can keep up with it, cutting back the flower including its entire stem all the way back to where it connects to the plant is the best and will keep it looking it's best. When you have a lot, it's often hard to keep up doing that, so a good whack occassionally will take care of it and keep it manageable. The good news is, mine always blooms all summer and right up until the frost. It is always full of buds. Don't let the brown buds worry you unless that's all you have. They LOVE full sun and mine thrive in as much sunlight as they can get.... no shade necessary. The more you cut back, the more buds you will get, so happy cutting. What you might not realize, is that coreopsis makes great cut flowers. They don't look sturdy enough to hold up in a vase, but they look wonderful with daisys and cone flowers in an old blue canning jar for a real country look on a kitchen table.

[dtownjbrown6262]

Luvasiamese2 - I have Creme Brulee and Moonbeam. The Creme Brulee is more straight up & down, so it may be a little easier to see where a stem starts but the Moonbeam is all over the place. When you say "entire stem all the way back to the plant" do you mean I should cut it down to where the plants starts coming out of the ground?