Action plan: Nigel Colborn’s essential jobs for your garden this week
- Nigel Colborn shared advice for cutting back your autumn-flowering plants
- The British gardener said there are sound reasons for the early treatment
- Known as the Chelsea chop, the technique applies to certain perennials
Summer and autumn-flowering plants can benefit from being cut back now.
This may seem crazy, since their stems are so young, but there are sound reasons for the treatment.
Known as the Chelsea chop, the technique applies to certain summer and autumn-blooming perennials.
Plants which respond to the chop include tall phlox, perennial asters, border chrysanthemums and tall sedums.
You can treat suitable plants in three different ways. The simplest is to cut back all stems by a third or even half their length
You can treat suitable plants in three different ways. The simplest is to cut back all stems by a third or even half their length.
That will make the plants produce side-shoots which will carry more flower, usually for longer than on plants left untouched.
The second alternative, if you grow your plants in groups, is to chop some but leave others untouched. That results in a longer flowering period.
Tall summer plants often need supports
Plants which have been ‘chopped’ will grow less tall, so cut the front plants back but leave those behind untouched.
The final, though fiddly, method is to remove some of the stems from each plant.
The untouched stems will then flower first, followed by the side-shoots which grew from the shortened stems.
The chop is not suitable for early summer plants such as oriental poppies, herbaceous peonies or aquilegias. Those are best left untouched.
STAND TALL
Tall summer plants often need supports. In fertile soil, fast-growers will flop if not held up either with sticks and twine, or partially concealed supports of some kind.
Try to install them with minimal disturbance while plants are still young.
CELERY SEASON
Celery and celeriac are sensitive to cold, but can be planted outside now — choose a mild spell. Celery, right, needs deeply dug, humus-rich soil
Celery and celeriac are sensitive to cold, but can be planted outside now — choose a mild spell. Celery, right, needs deeply dug, humus-rich soil.
Keep plants well-watered and protected from winds. Planting in a shallow trench will make watering easier. It’s also a good time to plant out leeks.
As well as being edible and easily grown, sea kale, Crambe maritima, is an outstanding ornamental plant
READER’S QUESTION
Walking by the sea recently, we discovered sea kale growing in the shingle.
We were told it was edible and easy to grow.
If that is true, could I grow it miles from the sea?
Mrs C. Stamforth.
As well as being edible and easily grown, sea kale, Crambe maritima, is an outstanding ornamental plant.
The ruched leaves start off purple and end up blue-grey. Sea kale grows best in fast-draining soil in full sun.
For eating, you need to blanch the young stems to reduce bitterness.
Place a large flower pot over each dormant plant in late winter or early spring.