skip to main content

Butterfly Garden

Question about cutting back bronze fennel

13 years ago

I'm not keeping up with deadheading my bronze fennel this year. I admit I have too much and I don't want to let it go to seed.

I'm sure it has black swallowtail eggs on it. If I cut it back maybe a third, and leave the tops close to the plants, will the hatchlings find their way to the uncut foliage or will they just die?

{{gwi:523719}}

I must have nearly 10 times the seed heads that it shows in the photo above and they keep coming.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

Lisa_H OK
13 years ago
Christie, do you raise any BST inside? I would be tempted to dead head them and bring them inside to see if anything develops. Or grab caterpillars and start feeding them the dead heads :)

Lisa
tdogmom
13 years ago
Goodness! Your plants look like mine and I agree...it is a pain this year. For some reason, my fennel has gone mad, absolutely mad. It must love the weird weather we've had in Southern California because I've never seen anything like it. ;P Now, if the Anise Swallowtails would just do their thing! We haven't had many swallowtails of any sort yet this year. The Gulf Fritillaries have just now begun to be in abundance and today, I saw a lot more Cabbage Whites out and about. Like I said, weird climate changes account for some odd things.
Related Discussions
Question about cutting back plants in containers
Q
Comments (3)
but is it really necessary to keep the plants looking decent? ====>>> i think of it this way .. the ONLY purpose of a flower.. from the plants point of view.. is to call the bee to pollinate the flower.. to produce the seed ... once the seed is set.. there is little use for more flowers ... or vigorous growth ... so .... we deadhead them .. rather than cutting off each pod .. you are cutting off long branches of pods ... which are bare .... or gangly .. because they dont need fresh leaves either ... so if you want a nice show through out the whole warm season.. you need to keep hacking on them.. or they will set the seed and be done with their work .. make sense?? ken PS: yeah.. yeah.. i know its simplistic. she has other things to do .... rather than research plant physiology ...
...See More
Tell me about Bronze Fennel
Q
Comments (12)
Another fan of Bronze Fennel. I had it in two areas of my yard and it did get to be over 6ft in some places. I never had many caterpillars on it though. I think I saw a few one year. It did reseed for me, but it was growing in a crowded perennial bed that bordered driveway and lawn, so it really wasn't bad at all. Guessing less than three dozen seedlings in the entire bed. We took everything out of that bed including the Bronze Fennel and what we couldn't pull we cut to the ground and covered with cardboard and thick mulch. It didn't come back, except a few little seedlings along the rock edging that bed. Seedlings were easy to pull out. I LOVE the fragrance and collecting the seeds is a very pleasant task because of it. I do miss it and will probably try it again some time. :-)
...See More
question about cutting back foliage now?
Q
Comments (9)
it is useless.. unless you solve the slug issue first.. whats your plan in that regard .... we are coming into root growing season.. every leaf.. pretty or not.. is a factory to produce food.. which will be stored in the new roots .. and that is the food that will power them out of the ground next spring ... if you interfere SIGNIFICANTLY with this.. and they waste the power reflushing .. instead of storing .. then you will have smaller hosta next year ... this is no different than if a hail storm did the damage ... ergo... sooooooo .... i guess i wouldnt do it... but i wouldnt hesitate to take one or two of the worst leaves off.. and see if that doesnt help 'the look' .... all hosta will reflush later in the season.. so you might want to wait until they do it naturally .. and then take a few of the uglies off ... so whats the slug plan??? and you will sterilize your clippers and hands in between plants.. if virus is an issue in your garden .... ken
...See More
Question about cutting back Azaleas
Q
Comments (1)
I would not think it will kill the azalea. I suspect that the woody bottom half lacks foliage due to lack of sunlight but I cannot tell what else is hiding in those branches (fungal issues, etc). Dead wood like that is a common problem that I used to have in Atlanta with some big azaleas. Where are you located by the way? While in Atlanta, I once tried doing some special pruning to let some sun inside but eh, it did not improve things much. And they took a long time to show new growth, about a month I think. I did some selective pruning and not a crew cut. Maybe that would have helped more. Hints: I would recommend pruning as soon as they are done blooming (it usually takes about 2 weeks or so to finish blooming). Do not wait until June or so to prune as some azaleas may have already begun developing new flower buds but, exactly when actually depends on one’s geographical location. I usually do rejuvenation pruning in thirds. On year 1, I prune a third of the bush or the third longest branches or the top third. On year 2, I prune the next third. And then on year 3, I do the rest. Prune to remove crossing branches, and admit light and air. With azaleas (and also with small leafed rhodies), you may prune anywhere along the stem. These plants have invisible dormant growth buds nearly everywhere. They will usually go into action as soon as you prune near them. Note: with large leafed rhodies, you have to cut above a growth joint. Sometimes a healthy plant can be suddenly cut to 6" above the ground and it will come back, but you have some risk so, if you were to do this, do it only if the azaleas get a lot of sun. And yes, dormant buds beneath the bark, will sprout to form new growth after severe pruning too but not much if the plant is located in heavy shade. One can open/thin the canopy and then remove some of the top such that the bottom gets more light which induces new growth. When the new growth has gotten large enough then you can remove the rest of the growth at the top. If you see signs of fungal problems in the areas you are pruning, consider applying a fungicide then. I would also apply HollyTone (after pruning) to encourage growth. Pinching can be used to enhance plant form. Pinch out emerging new soft new shoots. Dead, diseased or damaged branches can be pruned at any time. To prevent losing Spring 2021 flower buds, do not prune in the Fall. Not pruning then will also prevent the plant from getting into “grow mode” just as an early frost suddenly appears from nowhere. Dead wood and plant debris with fungal issues should be thrown in the trash.
...See More
susanlynne48
13 years ago
It's a job to keep up with cutting off the flowers of fennel, for sure. Some years I do try to cut them off before they bloom, and other years, I just don't want to put forth the effort because it is a continuous battle. But, they do put out more foliage if you do cut the flowers off. I haven't done that this year, and, of course, I just have stalks now. When the days get a bit shorter and temps cool down a bit, the foliage will begin to grow back. I have had the frothy foliage overwinter in some years, reflecting a startling green against the brown background of the winter garden.

I don't think cutting it back will induce much growth for the time being, but you could certainly try it with a couple plants and see how its does for you. Please report back and let us know, if you decide to do that.

Susan
Lisa_H OK
13 years ago
Susan, I planted so much fennel this year and last I was sure I would have enough. Ha! I'm letting a friend of mine raise a few BST as a summer project with her grandkids. I gave them four a while ago and 2 more hatched and then I rescued a third this week. I've been cutting fennel and taking it to her to feed them. The fennel is getting scarce. I hope it regenerates this fall.

I think the kids are getting a kick out of how quickly the BSTs grow. They got to release two a couple of weeks ago.

I'm hoping the gulf fritillaries show up soon.

Lisa
fighting8r
13 years ago
OHHH I wish I had this problem (as do the caterpillars)! Can't grow it at all!
christie_sw_mo
Original Author
13 years ago
Well I need to do something or I'll have enough seedlings next year to feed every swallowtail in the whole state.

I was searching it today and could see some eggs on the foliage but didn't see any up on the seed heads. I wonder if they're just harder to see there or if the swallowtails prefer to deposit their eggs down lower.

Lisa - Yes I have raised them inside a few times. I had six earlier this summer that have all flown the coop, but I don't have any inside right now. You've all got me thinking though. I have a big trash barrel and I could put my clippings in that with the ends wrapped at least long enough to watch for hatchlings and then move them back to the other foliage.
fighting8r
13 years ago
Thanks Christie for watching out for the lil' guys! The eggs do hide so well in the blooms.
kelly

Related Stories

EXTERIORS Curb Appeal Feeling a Little Off? Some Questions to Consider

By Becky Harris

Color, scale, proportion, trim ... 14 things to think about if your exterior is bugging you

LIGHTING 5 Questions to Ask for the Best Room Lighting

By Karen LeBlanc Design TV Host & Writer/Blogger

Get your overhead, task and accent lighting right for decorative beauty, less eyestrain and a focus exactly where you want

FEEL-GOOD HOME The Question That Can Make You Love Your Home More

By Laura Gaskill

Change your relationship with your house for the better by focusing on the answer to something designers often ask

MOST POPULAR 8 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Meeting With Your Designer

By Kelli Kaufer Designs

Thinking in advance about how you use your space will get your first design consultation off to its best start

REMODELING GUIDES 9 Hard Questions to Ask When Shopping for Stone

By Ventana Construction LLC

Learn all about stone sizes, cracks, color issues and more so problems don't chip away at your design happiness later

GREEN BUILDING Considering Concrete Floors? 3 Green-Minded Questions to Ask

By Melanie Loftus

Learn what’s in your concrete and about sustainability to make a healthy choice for your home and the earth

ORGANIZING Pre-Storage Checklist: 10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Store

By Laura Gaskill

Wait, stop. Do you really need to keep that item you’re about to put into storage?

REMODELING GUIDES Considering a Fixer-Upper? 15 Questions to Ask First

By Sarah Phipps Design

Learn about the hidden costs and treasures of older homes to avoid budget surprises and accidentally tossing valuable features

ARCHITECTURE 10 Things to Know About Prefab Homes

By Laura Gaskill

Are prefab homes less costly, faster to build and greener than homes constructed onsite? Here are answers to those questions and more

KITCHEN DESIGN Bronze: Ancient Metal With Modern Appeal

Real or faux, bronze complements other materials in the mix

Sponsored

More Discussions

?what to do with this little guy?

3