There are three techniques to learn how to prune sedum. While sedum plants are generally low-maintenance, pruning is necessary to keep your plants healthy and your area tidy. However, please don’t feel intimidated in pruning your plants because it is relatively straightforward.
You must also check your other maintenance practices and overall care of your sedum plants. For example, are you ensuring that they are in an optimal growing environment? Combining ideal techniques and growing conditions should make pruning more comfortable and less stressful for your plants.
Cutting
One of the reasons why UK gardeners prune sedum is to help it rejuvenate itself. Therefore, you can cut back the plant to its base when you notice new growth in early spring or late winter. Some gardeners in the UK also recommend cutting the plants back in late autumn or early winter once you see them dying.
Otherwise, some sedum species don’t require cutting in winter because they stay evergreen anyway. If you notice leggy stems on your sedum plants, cutting back the branch will also help create more robust plants. Cutting back is essential because the plant will focus on creating thicker stalks from the delay of bloom growth.
Still, this is better because you want to have strong stalks to support the flowers, but be mindful not to remove the side buds accidentally. Be careful not to damage these new growths and use a sharp and sterile tool when cutting the old stem.
Pinching
Pruning sedum also encompasses pinching it back during the growing season. What this practice does is encouraging branching and also preventing the plants from outgrowing their space. The best time to pinch the sedum is in late spring or early summer using your fingers.
Remove the top four inches of the stem or pinch back to a leaf node if you have low-growing sedum. Pinching helps the plant form stronger branches, but it will also create bushier sedum. You can even notice thicker growth by pinching the new development near the soil because the plant will send multiple shoots to where you pinched.
You can start pinching in spring to the topmost leaf set and continue the practice every two weeks until the middle of the summer. Then, let the sedum plants bloom by stopping the procedure a month before you want them to flower.
Trimming
Sometimes, a light trim will suffice for maintaining sedum plants. Knowing this technique will help you keep your plants tidy and healthy. You can trim your plants any time as long as the climate is not cold.
Perhaps this is one of the advantages of growing sedum in the polytunnel because cold temperatures can easily stress the plants. However, be mindful of removing the faded flowers late in the summer because this can prevent new bloom later.
Depending on the sedum species you’re growing, you can remove the flowers or remove them in spring instead. Let the foliage die, form new rosettes in spring, and trim the plant to help these new growths develop. Lastly, don’t forget to remove the diseased or damaged parts of your plants once you saw them.
How To Care And Maintain Sedum
Sedum plants are generally low maintenance, but you must still care for them properly. For example, you can grow in the polytunnel if the temperatures in your UK region get extreme. Remember that these plants would grow well in full sun, especially if you want healthy blooms.
Watering sedum is no different than with other plants, but more importantly, their requirement is minimal. The minimal requirement means you will only need to water every week to keep the top inch of the soil moist during the dry season. You can also add compost and mulch to improve the soil’s soil nutrients and moisture retention in spring.
As part of maintenance, you can divide your sedum plants in spring or autumn to keep them from overcrowding and produce new plants. Lastly, don’t forget to be mindful of the growing conditions and daily practices to avoid pests like scale and mealybugs. Sedum plants are not prone to severe diseases, but consistency in care and maintenance is crucial in preventing problems.
How To Grow Sedum
You can propagate sedum either from cuttings or divisions. As mentioned earlier, the division is an excellent way to maintain your plants and produce more of your favourite species. On the other hand, you can also select a cutting and stick it into your pot to encourage rooting.
Conclusion
One of the best things about sedum plants is that they are not meticulous in growing and caring for. However, every UK gardener should know how to prune sedum to encourage better growth, keep the plants healthy, and prevent overcrowding. The three techniques in pruning sedum include cutting, punching, trimming.
Cutting sedum plants is best when you notice new growth in early spring. This practice will help rejuvenate the plant and create stronger branches. On the other hand, you can also pinch your sedum plants during the growing season if you want bushier growth.
Lastly, light trimming will sometimes suffice for pruning sedum. Trimming is excellent for removing damaged parts at any time, but be mindful of the cold weather that can stress sedum plants. More so, some sedum species are best if you leave them alone and prune them in the following spring instead.