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Aquelegia - now they've finished flowering, do I cut them down?

AnnEastwdAnnEastwd Posts: 10
in Plants
I have quite a few different types & coloured Aquelegia plants but now they've all flowered, they're just lots of leaves & seed heads.  I've got other plants growing underneath them - so my question is "Now my Aquelegia has finished flowering, can I chop them down to the ground please?"

:/ These plants are ones from the previous year and do look amazing when they flower so I'm slightly concerned that I could damage them by chopping them down! Please will you help me?

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Yes, you can cut them back to the ground and they will send up attractive fresh new foliage to sustain themselves, but won't flower again until next year.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Mr. Vine EyeMr. Vine Eye Posts: 2,394
    The seed heads are quite nice. I leave them on.
    East Yorkshire
  • HelixHelix Posts: 631
    I cut them down as if I let the seeds ripen my garden would be nothing but aquilegia next year unless I removed 40,000 seedlings.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    If you want them to seed around, you can leave the heads on, otherwise cut the main stems back as @BobTheGardener says.
    They can be quite hedonisitic as @Helix says though  ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
    Personally I leave the foliage and get rid of the seed heads. They self seed all over the place if left.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    It depends on the state of the remaining foliage for me - if that looks a bit tatty I take the whole plant down and so get the fresh new leaves.  If the old leaves still look good then I only remove the flowering stems.
    Sadly, the dreaded Aquilegia Downy Mildew arrived in my garden a couple of years ago so soon won't have this choice as all my aquilegias will be dead.  :'(
    I would now advise against buying-in live aquilegia plants and stick to growing from seed, if your garden is currently unaffected.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    I tent to snap the flower stalks off before the seed pots turn brown. They come away easily
    Devon.
  • AnnEastwdAnnEastwd Posts: 10
    Thank you BobTheGardener & Hostafan1 for your replies. I think that I'll take the whole plants down to give room for what's already growing up & around them.  I'm pleased that I can expect new leaf growth later. I do like the current leaves, but they just take up too much room.

    I'm really amazed that I got replies to my query so quickly.  Thank you. 
  • mrjameskentmrjameskent Posts: 7
    I just take out the flowering stem and any damaged foilage, as I'm using this plant as a backdrop for plants that are flowering now, and the natural dome of the foilage works well in my narrow border. 
  • AnnEastwdAnnEastwd Posts: 10
    Thank you mrjameskent. I suppose really I should have put the additional plants in front of the Acquilegia but these plants were self seeded from the previous year and were already pretty big in size. I knew that there would be a lot of the leaves left once the beautiful flowers had finished which is why I'd planted around these plants! The trouble is that the Acquilegia leaves have taken over the container! I think that by cutting the leaves down, I'll be able to see the other plants over the next few months.
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