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Confirm: Sedum can be pruned at any time?
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Posted by
onthebrinck 6 Central New Jersey (
My Page) on
Mon, Apr 30, 12 at 3:51
| I have quite a stand of Sedum Autumn Joy in my 'lawn screen' garden --- 20+. It is the anchor plant for other perennials, shrubs and a even a few trees. Since this plant, as you know, thrives on neglect, it must be in a perfect spot --- hot sun, semi-draught and competition from a nearby maple. This is its 3rd year of growth and today, the last day of April, it is well on its way to being almost as big as I'd like it to be throughout the growing season --- about 18"-24"! My intention is to prune the ends off of 1/2 the growth now, and the remaining 1/2 a few weeks from now, and continue to do that indefinitely. I'd like a more sprawling horizontal growth than a leggy, upright one. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Confirm: Sedum can be pruned at any time?
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| It won't hurt your sedum (assuming you're referring to the plant now known as hylotelephium, rather than sedum) to prune it as you describe. However, if it's a late blooming plant and you continue to prune the tops off into the summer, you will remove the flowering buds and it will not flower this year. In order to control size, and still have your plant bloom, it's best to discontinue pruning at least a month or so before the plant normally blooms. |
RE: Confirm: Sedum can be pruned at any time?
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| "Formerly known as Sedum" ... The irony to this is that the name change was probably to more accurately describe the plant but everyone knows exactly what you mean when you say "Sedum Autumn Joy", and probably very few would know what a "hylotelephium" is. Nonetheless, thanks, very much for the advice ... I'll stop pruning once I see the flower buds ... that's about the same time the plant stops growing. |
RE: Confirm: Sedum can be pruned at any time?
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| You can prune/pinch it back until about mid-late July without delaying or flowering. Every time you pinch it, it will branch, resulting in more, but somewhat smaller, flower heads. Also, you can put the cuttings into moist but well-drained soil, keep watered, and they will easily root. You can make vast quantities of Sedum quickly by this method if you wish to. Hylotelphium, the perennial formerly known as Sedum? Is that anything like "The Artist formerly known as Prince?" So, the botanists are at work again. Didn't they go through some cycle a few years back when they renamed the common garden Chrysanthemum several times and finally went back to Chrysanthemum? |
RE: Confirm: Sedum can be pruned at any time?
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| HeHe! All the sedum or whatever it is, that I have at this house started as a cutting from a plant two house and 15 years ago --- and since has produced maybe 100 children! |
RE: Confirm: Sedum can be pruned at any time?
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- Posted by simcan z5b/Toronto (My Page) on
Wed, May 9, 12 at 16:12
| Anytime, up to mid-July sounds about right. As an aside, I used to take my cuttings when I pruned and dip them in rooting hormone, and keep under lights and mist regularly...now I literally poke into the soil somewhere in my garden with my finger, put in the cutting, firm around it and water. About 75% of the time, I have a new plant. This gets harder as it gets hotter, of course, but even then some temporary shade and watching to ensure they don't dry out for a couple of weeks and still almost always a new plant. |
RE: Confirm: Sedum can be pruned at any time?
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| Glad I peeped at this thread- I only have my 3 original sedum and now I know how to make more! (By the way, I lost several- seems they are not as dry and heat hardy as their reputation claims. Thanks, Brandy |
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