I tried the Chelsea chop in a previous garden and none of the plants chopped ever flowered, the same when cutting back geraniums and oriental poppies for a second flush I just got fresh foliage but no flowers. I now wonder if was probably not sunny enough so “my season” wasn’t long enough to allow a later flush of flowers to flourish. Our garden faced north-west and the sunniest areas only got any decent sun between May and September. I do think these are some of those gardening rules which should be explained with caveats rather than giving the impression they always work.
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
It's true, Butterfly66. Different gardens produce different results. Although I am in the south and an area famed for its soft conditions, my wet clay soil and the gales off the channel make it entirely different from the Undercliff, about 3 miles away.
the same when cutting back geraniums and oriental poppies for a second flush I just got fresh foliage but no flowers.
I think it's usually stated that cutting back after flowering promotes fresh foliage and sometimes re-flowering if you are lucky. Unlikely to work with things that tend to flower once at a specific time of year. The exception is perpetual flowering things like Geranium Rozanne that don't set seed and don't have an 'off switch' for flowering.
As for the Chelsea chop it comes down to species, timing and a bit of experience. I Chelsea chopped my Veronicastrums last year and the resulting growth was very weak and never really took off. I will not do it this year. But if they were bigger more established clumps, it might have been more successful.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
I was going to ask about this so I'll ask it here. About half of the plants in my garden are young perennials sown this year, I'm assuming there is no benefit to chopping these? I know pinching out is sometimes advised but is it best to just let them grow and establish themselves?
Also interesting to see veronicastrums mentioned. I have two veronicastrum sibericums that are more established and growing well so was thinking of chopping them as I've read it's advised. Maybe I'll do half and half to see how they go, this year in the garden is very much an experiment for me.
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East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I think it's usually stated that cutting back after flowering promotes fresh foliage and sometimes re-flowering if you are lucky. Unlikely to work with things that tend to flower once at a specific time of year. The exception is perpetual flowering things like Geranium Rozanne that don't set seed and don't have an 'off switch' for flowering.
As for the Chelsea chop it comes down to species, timing and a bit of experience. I Chelsea chopped my Veronicastrums last year and the resulting growth was very weak and never really took off. I will not do it this year. But if they were bigger more established clumps, it might have been more successful.
https://youtu.be/D_-82B8EnF8
Also interesting to see veronicastrums mentioned. I have two veronicastrum sibericums that are more established and growing well so was thinking of chopping them as I've read it's advised. Maybe I'll do half and half to see how they go, this year in the garden is very much an experiment for me.