Week 16:

EXTENDING FLOWERING TIME FOR PERENNIALS

The flowering time of multi-stemmed perennials like tall phlox and amsonia can be extended with a bit of pruning before the flower buds appear. I prune two to three inches off of about twenty percent of the stems (randomly selected) around the perimeter of the plant.

These stems send out a number of new shoots that will flower one to three weeks later than the rest of the plant. These tip cuttings are excellent for composting in place, a subject we discussed last week.

I have been told that I am showing my age by calling this practice “composting in place,” for it is now called “chop and drop” which makes it sound like a lot more fun!