Melinda’s Garden Moments is heard Mon.-Fri. at 7:45 and 10:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. on WHAV.
Save yourself some maintenance and improve the beauty of your landscape with some late spring grooming.
Mums and asters are the most often pruned perennials. Pinching them back to 6 inches throughout June will encourage compact growth, while still allowing enough time for the plants to flower in fall.
Pinching and pruning other late season perennials such as Boltonia, Autumn Joy sedum and Heliopsis can reduce floppy growth and eliminate staking chores.
Prune back Joe Pye weed, asters and Summer sun Heliopsis by one third to encourage fuller, more compact growth. This eliminates the need to stake these perennials.
Pinch out the growing tips of Boltonia, swamp sunflower and sneezeweed. They won’t be noticeably shorter, but will produce more flowers that are smaller and less likely to flop.
A bit more information: You can also control the growth on Amsonia and Baptisia. Cut these plants back by about two thirds after flowering. You’ll encourage fresh new growth and a tidier appearance. Unfortunately, you will eliminate the attractive black pods on the Baptisia.
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