Want to know how to deadhead penstemon? Deadheading your penstemon plants is an essential task to keep your plants blooming colourful flowers throughout the growing season.
It’s easy to grow and maintain penstemons, and they do well in mass planting and borders, making them the perfect plants for beginners. They thrive best under full or partially shaded sunlight. They also prefer to be planted in moist, well-draining soil.
All of these factors can make or break the growth of your plants. But even if you get everything right – water, soil, and sunlight – your penstemon plants may still grow leggy and woody if you don’t prune and deadhead them every year.
How to Prune Your Penstemon Plants
Penstemons grow well in USDA zones 4 through 9. The zone definition means they’re drought-tolerant, but some hybrid plants may need that one waters them frequently. Annual pruning is also a part of proper penstemon care. Gardeners in the UK mainly prune their plants to grow new shoots and, therefore, extend the blooming season and protect the plants from frost. Additionally, pruning is also a great way to maintain the appearance of your plants.
Pruning penstemons in the spring
Spring pruning is mainly for improving the growth of new shoots. Remove old stems once your plants develop new ones during the spring season. In this way, your penstemons will focus their energy on growing healthy flowers and shoots.
Before you start pruning, examine your plant to see whether the new shoots developed from the plant’s base or old stems.
Growth from old stems
If the shoots came from old stems, trim the stems just above the new shoots.
Growth from the base of the plant
In this case, you can cut back the old stems by trimming them to the soil level.
No new growth
If shoots didn’t form, you can cut back the entire plant as you usually should (above the lowest set of true leaves).
Pruning penstemons in the winter
Another reason to prune penstemons is to protect them from frost and snow. Cut back your penstemons to a few inches above the ground and cover the soil with a thick layer of mulch to retain heat. For places with mild winters, you can cut back your plants about a third once they finish flowering. Remember to leave enough leaves to protect your plants from the cold.
How to Deadhead Penstemon
Many gardeners in the UK use the terms deadheading and pruning interchangeably. Still, while both are similar, there is a slight difference between the two: deadheading refers to removing spent flowers from plants. On the other hand, pruning pertains to trimming any part of the plant.
Now that you know how to prune your plants, the next step is to learn how to deadhead penstemon. Here’s how:
There are two ways your penstemons can benefit from deadheading: it promotes the growth of new shoots and more flowers, and it prevents seed formation in unwanted areas in your UK garden. Cut underneath the set of healthy leaves located below the flowers. If you want seeds, you can leave a few flower stalks on your penstemon.
How to Propagate Penstemon
You can propagate penstemon through stem cuttings, root division, or seeds. The best time to start sed propagation is when the last scare of frost has passed, and the soil is warmer. If you want your flowers to bloom early, you can also start your seed indoors. Just make sure to plant them in well-draining soil, mist them, and cover your plants loosely.
On the other hand, the best time to propagate via stem cuttings is during summer or autumn. Cut nonflowering stem tips underneath the leaf nodes. Remove the tips and the set of leaves at the bottom. Dip the bottom of the stem in rooting powder before you plant them in a pot filled with a combination of compost and perlite.
Another way to propagate penstemon is through root division. You divide the roots to produce separate plants. You’ll need to carefully dig out your plant every two to three years to get roots.
Taking care of propagated penstemon
Keep your stem cuttings in a shaded area with good ventilation. Be sure to place your plants indoors during colder seasons. Once your penstemons grow new leaves, you can transplant them into your UK garden or to a larger pot. Please place them in an area of your British garden with partial or full sun. Don’t overwater your plants to prevent the roots from rotting. Lastly, add balanced fertiliser every year during the spring season.
Why Grow Your Penstemons in a Mini Greenhouse?
There are several reasons why you should try growing your penstemons in a mini greenhouse. For one, you can protect them from pests that like to munch on your flowers and leaves, such as aphids, thrips, and caterpillars. They’re also vulnerable to root rot, rust, and powdery mildew. Growing them in an enclosed space reduces the risk of damaging your plants.
Mini greenhouses are also helpful in protecting tender perennials from bad UK weather. Placing them inside protects them from ice, snow, frost, heavy rains, and high winds. They can stay healthy inside a mini polytunnel until you can replant them outside when the weather warms.
Final Thoughts on How to Deadhead Penstemon
Penstemons are easy to grow and cultivate since they don’t need much attention and maintenance. As long as you know the basics and how to deadhead penstemon, you’re good to go. Penstemons are an excellent choice for colourful blooms during spring.