Many of your perennial plants would benefit from a little bit of maintenance. Deadheading through the summer months will encourage new flowers. Shearing or cutback of certain perennials in late summer is helpful later in the plants development to help get your garden bed cleaned up efficiently and to bulk up the crown of the plant in preparation for over wintering.
Shearing
Shearing is a different application for woody plants than herbaceous perennials. Focusing on herbaceous perennials in this definition, shearing is the act of cutting back a large mass of the plant material in one fell swoop. This is done to rejuvenate the plant and is most effective for plants that grow new shoots from their base each year.
After the plant is done with its main first flush of blooming for the season and is developing seed heads with the foliage beginning to look tired, grab a fistful of the plant material and cut it back by 1/2, or in some cases, take the foliage stalk and cut all the way to the base. This technique is especially useful if the plants have already opened up and are sprawling and reflushing from the center which is common in Geraniums, Salvia, Achillea, Nepeta, and Tradescantia.
Common plants that will rebloom with shearing:
- Nepeta| catmint
- Salvia | garden sage
- Leucanthemum | shasta daisy
- Rudbeckia | black-eyed susan
- Coreopsis | tickseed
- Achillea | yarrow
- Calamintha | calamint
- Geranium | cranesbill
- Lavendula | lavender (shearing of flower stems, do not cut to base)
- Tradescantia | spiderwort
- Veronica | speedwell
- Stachys | lamb’s ears
- Penstemon | beardtongue
Using the technique of shearing, one can easily refresh tired foliage and provide a longer season of interest for customer enjoyment. It is a great way to maintain a garden for optimal long season of bloom and is a key part in garden maintenance.
