Plant in containers on the patio or porch for a close-up view. Amendments & Fertilizer: Add compost to the area where zinnias will be planted to enrich the soil. Salvias are loved for their wide range of flower colors and types as well as their long bloom time. This is the best video I have seen regarding pruning of salvias and the most informative as it tells me how to prune the different varieties of salvias and the time of year and how much to cut off. In late fall, once all of your perennials have started to turn brown and die back, it’s time to prune some and leave some to cut back in spring. Quite the honor and rightfully so! I consider them to be the easiest, showiest and best cut flowers that can be … I filmed this longer video in my client’s garden in Pacifica, CA (just south of SF) in early December. How to Plant Zinnias. In the video, you’ll see me working on a Salvia leucantha  (Mexican Bush Sage), Salvia elegans (Pineapple Sage) and Salvia Waverley which I just talk about. Plants die back to their crowns-- thick white areas at the base of the green *fan of leaves. 3-5 would be fine depending on the which greggii you get & how close you want them to be. There is … Zinnias are low maintenance. If you’re in a colder climate, just make sure to prune in the fall well before the threat of frost and after the last chance of it has passed in the spring. The best zinnias I’ve ever seen were lining a path to a primary school in Sri Lanka. Of course, I ran back into the house and grabbed my camera… As I moved through the zinnias the butterflies were softly fluttering all around. Comment document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a7305d39b96635141d47a744fb392e9e" );document.getElementById("b9c94d1fb4").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hi, I’m Nell, and this is where I celebrate all things garden and share my passion for plants, flowers and the great outdoors. Most greggiis get 2-3′ wide. Cutting Back Foliage. Hi Cathy – You’re very welcome. Zinnias are cut and come again flowers, so the “harder” you cut the stronger the plant responds by sending out long, stronger stems all season long. In such cases, remove the dead stems in early spring to make way for new growth. Q: I put zinnias around my mail box. Zinnias thrive in a sunny … I have a Wendy’s Wish – salvia hybrida, is that considered #2 Herbaceous Salvia with Woody Stem? Oh, I love to create so you’ll find a bit of that in the mix along with lots of videos too. Cut off old flowers (called deadheading) to help more flowers to … Another thing to know is that these salvias (unrelated to this pruning subject) is that they tend to spread as they grow so you might have to do a bit of dividing. Anyway both my Sage and Hot Lips have gone woody so will prune as advised when the weather warms up in England UK. Place them in a clean vase filled with fresh water and, if you have it, flower food. Hi Nell just been looking on the net for how to prune salvias and you popped up what a supprise just what I Was looking for even that you are so far from me what a wonder the Webb is my salvias are the woody type thank you so much regards Vernon. While zinnias aren’t particularly picky about their soil, they do prefer it to be fertile, humus-rich, well-drained and with a pH of 5.5 to 7.5. By the way, The National Garden Bureau named Salvia nemerosa plant of the year in 2019. Do I prune them now or wait til fall? I grew up in New England and my dad always pruned our 2 or 3 winter hardy salvias in the fall. If you’re looking to add some annuals to the mix, try these fabulous fall bloomers for your garden beds, hanging baskets, or window boxes. The choice now is: fall pruning or spring pruning! Maria – I lived in SF for 20 years. Pinching new growth on young plants will promote branching. Salvias need pruning to grow properly & flower. Yes, it’s a long growing season. This category includes: Salvia nemorosa, S. x superba & S. penstemonoides. Whether you prune in fall or spring is up to you and the climate zone you live in. August they start growing from seed again. Stop deadheading zinnias at the end of the summer to allow the flowers to develop seeds. Out it came and into the compost bin it went. Heat-loving and very easy to grow. It’s important to refrain from pruning prior to die-off, as the plant will continue to photosynthesize while it is still green. Prune foliage down to just a few inches from the ground and make sure to clear away any debris from the garden to help prevent disease and rot in the early spring. To take a cutting: Choose healthy shoots and trim them back about 2 to 3 inches just below a leaf node. Take them back to at least where the first set of foliage starts on the flower stem – this could be a pinch or you can take them down further if they need it. They will still flower next season if you don’t, but you’ll get more blooms and the plant will look 100% better if you do. At this time you can also save the seeds from the flowers. Hi Nell! Cutting Back to Shape Plants . Hugs from the Arizona desert, Nell. Cut back the stems of the mums to 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm.) Hi Katee – That’s deciduous perennial so you want to cut it all the way back sometime in late winter/early spring (depending on where in Sonoma County you are) after evening temps have consistently warmed above freezing. If I don’t know what type the salvia is, I research to find out what type it is. Back Flower Growing Guides Books and Courses Growing Schedule Flower Pricing ... and will provide you with a nice fall crop that is a break from the constant march of zinnias and dahlias all season long. Hi Sara, I don’t pinch back zinnias (we just deadhead spent blooms). Zinnias (Zinnia elegans) are classic old-fashioned garden flowers. Once you have decided which variety you want to work with, sow the seeds in spring after the danger of frost has passed. Hi Andrea – I’ve been pruning salvias for years now so I’m so glad you found the info helpful. Fall cleanup can sometimes seem daunting, but with all of the right information at your fingertips it can be done in just a few short hours. It’s important to make sure your pruners are clean and sharp before you start pruning your salvias. All 3 types of perennial salvias really benefit from a good haircut. Trying to harvest a flower too early will result in immature seeds that won't germinate. – The Easy Cut-Flower Garden – Cool Flowers, Beyond the Book for Flower Farming; Farming & Business Schools: – The Basics, Annual Crops, Marketing, and More! Check with your local garden center or extension office to see what is recommended in your area. Cutting back perennials in the fall Perennials: No Fall Cleanup Required! It’s an added bonus that their nonthirsty ways are so appropriate for the water-starved Western US. Why in the world would you cut back the leaves of a perennial in the fall: its dying leaves are an important part of its survival strategy. Some salvias I have bought in the UK do not seem to have a fragrance. Woody salvias are new to me, so I wasn’t sure how to care for them. You may also choose to leave those dying stems in place to provide winter protection for the plant. Cutting a zinnia back at any point will cause it to branch there, produce new stems, and then flower. Thank you so much for this post! There are a variety of perennials that should be cut back in the fall. above the ground. This category includes Salvia elegans, Salvia guaranitica (including the popular “Black & Blue), Salvia leucantha, Salvia waverley, Salvia ulignosa, and Salvia patens. Exactly what I needed to know for my variety of salvias. You can either cut a zinnia back to the nearest set of leaves, or you can opt to cut them further down. I’m in Northern California (Sonoma County) and this past summer I put in a bunch of “Willow Veil” salvia. I’ve found that a young woody salvia (planted the previous season) can take a harder pruning than an older established salvia. Fertilize with a slow-release fertilizer at planting. I’m glad you found the video to be helpful! If you want them to reseed, let the last flowers of the season mature fully and scatter their seeds. Sure, alyssum have sweet blooms, lilies are lovely and there are many other flower options along the way, but zinnias … Flowers to Plant in Fall. Gets sun from about 1pm to dusk. Many of them are not cut back leaving a tangle of dead twisted stems and they look like a ratty mess. I’d like to plant 1 gallon greggii in that area. Hydrangea is an illusive shrub that can be pruned in the late winter/early spring or just after they’ve finished blooming, depending on the variety. Contact us to get on our schedule! When cutting back be sure to leave these rosettes of green. This category includes Salvia greggii (there are so many of these), Salvia chamaedryoides, Salvia coccinea, and Salvia microphylla (there are quite a few microphyllas too including the popular “Hot Lips” pictured above). Zinnias add bold, vibrant color to gardens. Fall is the perfect time to examine your trees, shrubs, and vines and come up with a pruning plan. Zinnias are colorful flowers that bloom in the summer months. Thank you for helping us spread the word & make the world a more beautiful place! My zinnias, marigolds, petunias, stock, snapdragons, periwinkles, touch me nots, and even more reseed twice a year. Salvia leucantha is quite commonly planted & is deciduous. Here I’ll be talking about pruning salvias in coastal California. These salvias form low rosettes, which are evergreen in coastal CA. ... Years ago my husband’s uncle gave us seeds for some tall mixed zinnias. How to Get More Flowers on Zinnias With One Flower to a Stem. They thrive in cooler temperatures and in frost-free areas. Most salvias that I know have a scent to their foliage. After one year, it is a little woody. This cutting results in multiple new flowers for a continuous show of zinnias throughout the summer season. Make sure to clean your pruners with a mixture of bleach and water after dealing with any diseased plants. While zinnias aren’t particularly picky about their soil, they do prefer it to be fertile, humus-rich, well-drained and with a pH of 5.5 to 7.5. You’ll get much better flowering and shape if you do so. This post shares what I know about pruning (the big cut back; not the ongoing deadheading you do in summer) the two most popular types of perennial salvias which you probably have in your own garden. You have to … Growing to be about 30-40” tall, Dahlia-Flowered Zinnias are perfect for the back border of the garden, meadow, or cutting bed. They were gorgeous over the summer but now they look like dead sticks. It’s best to dead-head them throughout the season. I’ve found that many woody salvias need to be replaced after 5 years or so because they get too woody & start to fail. I first learned all about perennial salvias in the San Francisco Bay Area where I was a professional gardener for over 15 years. I wanted to prune them all back but didn’t want to get arrested for trespassing! Water the new transplants religiously. Great for cutting as well as in the garden. Remove any lower leaves and flower buds. It’s simply a matter of preference. Q: Why should you cut back perennials? The more you cut, the more they bloom, and they keep blooming from midsummer until frost. Most importantly, refrain from cutting back big portions of the plant. Lee-Ann – You can do the big pruning in spring or fall. Cut away all the dead foliage. Karen says. I wish I had read it before I pruned my salvias ‘hot lips’; I cut them back to 30/40cm from ground level just above a set of new leaves. I’m a first time gardener and I just planted salvia nemrosa (I know I messed up that spelling) they were a pretty light blue/purple and now the colouring has all fallen off. I also live in the Bay Area. Cutting back can nip an infestation in the bud ahead of the next growing season. Nell. My questions are… Zinnias make terrific cut flowers, and cutting the flowers encourages new blooms. Like all Zinnias, this variety is extremely easy to grow, deer resistant, and attractive to pollinators. If you purchase and plant a 1-gallon plant in early spring, it’ll be a good size with lots of blooms by the end of the season. I have a Salvia farinacea ‘Victoria Blue’, which category of your 3 it goes? After zinnias flower, cut off the old flowers (a process called “deadheading”) to encourage more flowers to form. Other varieties offer up important habitat for local wildlife and some perennials provide height and interest through the winter months. Zinnias can also be started indoors. Hydrangeas that bloom on old growth (like “Endless Summer”) should be pruned immediately after they’ve finished flowering. […], Your email address will not be published. If they’re young ones, they should be fine & flower this year. As blooms fade on zinnia plants, cut these off just ahead of the first set of leaves on the flower stem. (Dowling) – Growing Cut-Flower Crops in Hoop and Greenhouses (Adams) Note: This had been previously published & was updated on 8/6/2020. Nell. Once they’ve taken root, make sure that the herbs in […], […] Here’s a later post I did on pruning & trimming 3 types of salvias in spring or fall. You can direct sow in the spring, after all danger of frost has passed, and can sow a second batch in mid-summer to have fresh plants blooming into the fall. No worries though because they grow fast. You can read our policies here. Keep the soil moderately moist and lightly fertilize for maximum growth and blooms. Your email address will not be published. Cut it back to make room for fresh growth. One variety, Rudbeckia maxima, also known as great coneflower, can reach up to 8 feet tall. This allows the soft new growth to appear at the base. Thanks. Remove spent flower heads to keep plants flowering until fall. Nell, Thank you very much Nell, much appreciated you taking the time to answer. If you’re somewhere where winters are on the colder side, it’s best to cut these back in spring. Old-fashioned tawny daylilies (Hemerocallis fulva, USDA zones 3 through 9), lemon lilies (Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus, USDA zones4 through 10) and many of their early hybrids bloom once and enter dormancy in late fall. A: “The short answer is the aesthetics and health of all perennial grasses and flowering plants benefit from being cut back,” says Sarah. A: On a garden tour in England, I learned the phrase “the Chelsea chop”. *Is July okay for new planntings? Nell, Hi Caprice – You’re welcome! Some of the more popular varieties for cutting are: Cut and Come Again, State Fair, Giant Dahlia Flowered, Giants of California, and Luther Burbank. They grew five feet high! ANNUAL Summer/fall bloomFrost tender TO START DIRECTLY IN THE GARDEN Sow seeds in a well-worked seed bed in full sun when danger of frost is past and weather is warm and above 50°F (10°C) both day and night. Some plants, especially fall bloomers, will grow tall and gangly and not be able to support themselves. The daisy-like flowers are deer-resistant and have a long bloom period, making them excellent for cuttings all season long. While most items should wait until winter, there are a few pruning tasks you can take care of immediately. I also get reseeding in the Spring. This will help me help them look their best. Daylilies are susceptible to crown rot, so sanitation, on the ground and in the fan, is vitally important. Avoid cutting back low-growing, semi-evergreen perennials, such as some hardy geraniums, coral bells, hellebores and dianthus in fall, and clean them up in spring as needed. Out all summer it came and into the garden center or extension office see. Wasn ’ t want to get snow over Easter……, can you list the fragrant! Wildlife and some perennials provide height and interest through the season to keep plants flowering until fall ’! 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