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Pruning very tall damaged verbena bonariensis

lucy_listerlucy_lister Posts: 4
in Problem solving
Quite a few of my verbenas have been damaged by the wind and heavy rain we have had. They were nearly 6ft tall despite cutting them right back in spring. I’d like to cut them down to 4ft. Would I lose all the flowers or would it flower again this summer? 

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It'll be fine. It should have some side shoots anyway, which will flower. 
    You can also use the bits you cut off as new material. Cuttings take very readily at this time of year.
    Just prep them as you would for any other cutting, and put a few round the edge of a pot of any compost. Tuck somewhere sheltered out of hot sun and they'll root quite quickly.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    If planted into rich soil (new compost/manure etc) they will get super tall and are more likely to bend and break. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They always get broken and damaged by wind and rain here. Just goes with the territory. Mine are usually supported by other plants but they still get damaged. Not really a problem though   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • TheGreenManTheGreenMan Posts: 1,957
    Sorry for hijacking.  I've got a few of these in my garden for the first time.  Do I just snip off a stem and trim it and pop it in a pot?


  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Take a piece about four or five inches long,  cut below a leaf joint, remove lower leaves, and if there are flower buds, nip them off too. If there's quite  a lot of leaves, you can cut them in half too. Stick them in some free draining compost. I usually put three or four round the edge of a four inch pot or similar, but you can put them in smaller pots too. Tuck them somewhere sheltered and just water as necessary  :)
    I'm afraid I don't have any to show you as none of my main plants survived winter this year. There's a couple of small seedlings, which have manged to survive under another plant's foliage, but they aren't big enough yet to take cuttings from. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • TheGreenManTheGreenMan Posts: 1,957
    Thanks @Fairygirl

    I'll do that in my lunch hour.


  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I have one very sandy pavement bed with V. bon and they are doing well about 4-5 ft and seeding like crazy.  One year I grew them in a manured bed and they nearly hit seven ft and couldn't support their weight to stay upright (there were not a mass of them to hold each other up, which is def'ly the best way to keep them going).
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