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Cutting back Red Velvet Yarrow NOW?

12 years ago

First year for it. Planted in fall. Started coming up beautifully about a month or so ago and was pretty full & about a foot tall.

Guess it was so inviting, my cat decided to lay on it (LOL) and smashed it all flat and forward (toward the sun).

So I picked it all up, bunched it all together and laid it backwards, away from the sun, intending to support it upright with something. But forgot about it and now and it's been growing for a few weeks, I guess.

So now I find that what I laid backwards curved towards the sun and grew horizontal and then started growing upright again. So it's really funky looking and I know when it gets taller it's gonna fall down with such a 'curvy' base.

And because of this, the base of the plant got covered by the new growth growing over top of it so the bottom leaves are all yellow and not healthy looking.

I want to just chop it all off and let it start over. Can I do this now? It's already got lots of buds and a few flowers.

If I can, how far down to the ground should I chop? I just want it to start all over but don't know the habit of this plant -- if it continues to flower all summer long or what?

I can include a pic tomorrow if needed. Too dark to take one now.

Thanks for any advice!!

Bonnie (aka) brit5467

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Comments (5)

laceyvail 6A, WV
12 years ago
It won't flower all summer long and if you cut it back now, it might not flower until next year. Most of the red yarrows are A. millefolium cultivars and are, in my opinion, weak and weedy looking anyhow.
Nancy
12 years ago
I guess I'm one of the minority of people who like the millefolium yarrows, I like the shorter height & its winding tendencies. It does spread some but I don't find it obnoxious like tall filipendula Cloth of Gold which will take over my garden if I would let it. I have several different yarrows, including Red Velvet.
In my experience, you can cut it back, but you won't get more flowers for a while. I usually trim mine back by 1/3 to 1/2 after bloom & they rebloom in later summer or early fall. Don't think you will kill it by cutting back more if you need to though.
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brit5467
Original Author
12 years ago
Ngraham....you said you "like the shorter height & winding tendancies." Do you mean it's NORMAL for it to wind around like it's doing? And when I say wind, I mean the very bottom looks like a snake in the grass....lol.

If this is the case, then I'll just stake it up somehow, because I'd hate to waste all the buds on it now.

I know the Cloth of Gold I had before did this very same thing at the base, but thought it was from being behind other plants and straining to get to the sun.

Laceyvail, you say it's weak & weedy-looking. Do you mean the foliage is weak, because mine came in very lush & fernlike looking. And a darker green tham the Cloth of Gold I had before. I DID think THAT looked weedy and yanked it all out. But thought I'd try a red this year.

Thanks to both for your help !!
Nancy
12 years ago
For me the ferny growth stays low to the ground, with the flowers upright. It seems to spread around other plants rather than shoving them over, if you understand what I mean :)
laceyvail 6A, WV
12 years ago
I guess I meant that the foliage was lax and sloppy. Now there is a red yarrow with very upright foliage--'Fireland' (Feuerland). But it's a rusty red that fades to gold. I love it, and it's a clumper. My rule with all yarrows is to cut them back before they go to seed to prevent a million seedlings.

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