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When can I cut back sedum

15 years ago

I planted some autumm joy sedum around the end of September. It really didn't have a chance to turn color but it did stay standing up until we had a snow about a month ago. It's floppy laying on the ground but when can I cut it back and how far do I cut it.

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Comments (4)

mxk3 z5b_MI
15 years ago
Any time you want. You don't even have to cut, just give a gentle tug and the stems will easily pull out. The rosettes for next season's growth are just below (or right at) the soil line, you won't do them any harm.
nckvilledudes
15 years ago
I would be careful with just pulling the stems up. I know I have personally yanked up some of the rosettes by doing so. I agree that you can cut them back any time you want unless it is getting near the bloom time. Any cuttings you take during the growing season root with no trouble. All the sedums I have were obtained by taking cuttings of some in various friends' gardens.

I generally leave about an inch or so of the old stems because I generally use hedge clippers to clip mine back. The stem portions left generally fall off when the plants start spring growth.
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gardenscout...I was happy to get permission...lol...already have two sedums cut back and more to go. mad gallica...I wish I had a place to put divisions and I would have done mine this fall. My problem is I never have the place they are going into ready. At this point I have not much room for them so I am going to give most of my divisions away so I will wait til spring to do it. I think they can take it though, come to think of it. I used to leave some in my front containers over the winter and one of them would fill up with water from a drip from a metal canopy over the door. It would freeze into a block of ice and still the AJ sedum would come back up on schedule the next year. Amazing! :-) pm2
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I think a perennial Geranium would be great. Geranium macrorrhizum is a wonderful plant that can tolerate a bit of dryness if given a bit of shade. G. cantabrigiense 'Biokovo Karmina' is a nice groundcover sort with pink-purple flowers. Geranium sanguineum 'Vision Light Pink' is also great. All of those bloom in spring, but the last one can sometimes rebloom if snipped back. And all of them have nice looking foliage even when not in bloom. Astrantia (Masterwort) might work if there is enough moisture. I also think a Platycondon (Balloon Flower) would work well. They bloom in late summer/ early fall so the foliage stays nice all the year until afer it blooms (and even then it turns a nice golden color in fall). I know there is a nice light pink colored one from the 'Astra Series' of balloon flowers. -Cameron, I am sure you will love the Erigeron. I don't have E. speciosus 'Pink Jewel', but I do have E. speciosus 'Azure Fairy'. I adore it! Looks a bit like an Aster but without the mildew. The only downside to it is that it flops some, so I have mine in the mid-border leaning up against other things. CMK
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The taller types of Geranium benefit from shearing after the first flush of bloom. Cut all stems to about 3". The plants will put on a new flush of leaves and may reflower. G. sanguinium types can be sheared by taking 3" off the top growth to remove dead heads.
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sbcand
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the info. I was worried that it was too late and I didn't want to do it too early. I'll probably be cutting them back in a couple of weeks. Thanks again!
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
15 years ago
when the little cabbages appear near the soil ...

if you pull out a stalk .. with a cabbage below.. prune off the stalk... and stick the cabbage in the ground.. and you will have a new clump ...

if you figure out how to kill this plant.. you might be the first...

just go at it... be fearless ...

floppy plants tend to be fertilized plants.. avoid fert ..

ken

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