The three-year old plants have now finished flowering, have formed the seed
heads and the leaves are now browning and are generally floppy and untidy.
Would it be detrimental to the plants if I cut down the leaves etc to, say,
about 3" or so to encourage new growth from the base...... even if it didn't
produce flowers this year.
Truth is, they now look an eyesore.

vsop.

In article , Jake
writes
Others no doubt do it differently but I chop mine down to about 2-3
inches above ground as soon as they finish flowering as I don't want
to collect any seed. Then the plants "next door" spread to cover the
gap.


I yank the dead stems out of the ground but can't remember where I
learned to do this. Once finished flowering the come out very easily . i
have never really cut them back as such. They seem to grow back okay but
perhaps I've been lucky?
I do the same for aubretia and stuff like it, i find the dead stems or
stems with seeds come out easily and leave the new growth at the bottom.

I might be wrong though!

Janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

Others no doubt do it differently but I chop mine down to about 2-3
inches above ground as soon as they finish flowering as I don't want
to collect any seed. Then the plants "next door" spread to cover the
gap.


I yank the dead stems out of the ground but can't remember where I
learned to do this. Once finished flowering the come out very easily . i
have never really cut them back as such. They seem to grow back okay but
perhaps I've been lucky?
I do the same for aubretia and stuff like it, i find the dead stems or
stems with seeds come out easily and leave the new growth at the bottom.

I might be wrong though!


Hello Jake and Janet........ thanks for your helpful advice.
I'll now do the big tidy-up this am.

vsop.