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| I have several Sedum Autumn Joy and Yoder mums, they were very nice last year, bloomed for a long time. However, they were a little too tall for the location in the garden. Will pinching help control their height?
Thanks,
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Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by steve22802 7a VA (My Page) on Tue, Apr 19, 11 at 23:20
| Yes, both Sedums and Chrysanthemums respond well to pinching which will yield shorter bushier plants. |
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| I pinch mine back by half when they are 12 inches tall, If you havethem in more than one location, experiment. Pinch some when they are 8 inches tall, and others when 12 inches. You may see a difference in when they bloom and what you prefer. Remember when you pinch back, you don't get a great big flower head, but two or more smaller ones. It turns into a big full head of flowers, it just looks less like broccoli and more like broccoli florets. |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Wed, Apr 20, 11 at 9:02
| mums .. most of them.. can be pinched back by half.. in my z5 ... in june.. july and august ... and still bloom timely in fall ... when they get to 6 inches.. cut back to 3 [half the growth] ... when they grow 6 more inches ... cut back 3 .... etc ... that is how to get them to look like the ones you would buy at the store in fall ... i was too lazy to research your specific type.. maybe those rules dont apply ... all cuttings can be rooted .. should you wish more ... i would move the AJ ... whats the point if it doesnt fit where it is.. and in pinching back.. you lessen the flower show ... ken |
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- Posted by buyorsell888 Zone 8 Portland OR (My Page) on Wed, Apr 20, 11 at 12:18
| YES!!! :) |
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| Autumn Joy and the taller sedums tend to spread in the center and lay flat as they grow, flopping on the ground. By pinching you get a more upright, more attractive plant. It isn't that they get too big for the allotted space, they just tend to flop all over everybody in the vicinity. Lazy critters. Sandy |
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- Posted by vivian_2010 IL 5A (My Page) on Wed, Apr 20, 11 at 23:32
| Thanks every body for the helpful information! I will give it a try this year. Vivian |
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| Apparently, my Autumn Joy Sedums are in the "happy" locations. They are probably the best plants I have. My internal debate right now is whether to divide them. They don't NEED dividing, but they are sure large enough to ACCEPT dividing and I would like more of them. They are great plants. They are bright-green foliage from early Spring through Summer, are happy in heat, and give great flowers in Fall. Everyone has the plant they love best and Autumn Joy is mine. I just admire this plant all year long. |
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| I Googled your mum since even tho I was always told to cut 'em back up until 4th of July, I found out I had a pin-cushion type (grows in the shape of a pin-cushion) so it was not necessary. I never had to pinch it back. It did splay out end of season, but with the amount tight of blooms I got from it before then -- I didn't care (I talk in past-tense since I dug it up - didn't like where it was). So I found this about yours. Copied it off Gardenharvestsupply.com: To grow stocky, heavy-flowering Yoder Mums, pinching back the growing tips is essential. Pinch off the top 1 to 2-inches of growth when plants are 6 to 9-inches high; repeat every three to five weeks until early August. Winter Protection for Yoder�s Garden Mums: �Keep your garden mums' soil moist as winter approaches. Hope this helps :-) |
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- Posted by kterlep 5/6 (kterlep@gmail.com) on Fri, Apr 22, 11 at 9:55
| when you cut back your AJ, save the trimmins and put them in some wet potting soil. stick them in the shade, and leave them until they get roots (only 2-3 weeks, I think for sedum--they root fast!) Then you can plant them wherever you want. Mine are still in the cardboard box under a tree that I put them in to root--one small AJ plant (I had just divided it) generated a paper box worth of plantlets--I imagine if I group them together there are 4-5 plants worth in the box alone. |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Fri, Apr 22, 11 at 10:01
| Autumn Joy and the taller sedums tend to spread in the center and lay flat as they grow, flopping on the ground. ===>>>> this is caused by treating them too well .. in pure mineral sand [read that arid].. with no water but what God provides .. no fert.. and ignoring them 11 months of the year ... they do not flop ... grow them like the succulent cactus type plant they are.. and they wont flop ... its when you start putting them in 'good' soil.. with high water.. and perhaps fert.. that they over-perform.. and flop .. or would that be under perform ... 11 months??? .. i look at them when they bloom ... ken |
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| Sedums & mums are so easy to root, I don't bother pampering them. I just find an empty spot in my garden & stick them in the soil. If I lose any, I can't tell. Mums you have to keep moist, I don't do anything to the sedums & they root quickly. Of course, I'm doing this in the spring when we get plenty of rain anyway. |
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- Posted by vivian_2010 IL 5A (My Page) on Sat, Apr 23, 11 at 11:54
| Wow, I learned so much from the forum here. Last year was the first year for me to grow AJ and mums, was rewarded very well. I will try the pinching techniques mentioned here, and rooting the cuttings as I do need more plants for a new garden this year. Brit, thanks for the information regarding Yoder mums. I did not know that you can pinch them until August. Last year, I had one mum started blooming in late June. I did not have the hear to pinch them so left it alone. The blooming lasted until late September, although the flowers are not as dense as the ones that were pinched. All the best, |
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- Posted by wonbyherwits z7b NC (My Page) on Sat, Apr 23, 11 at 20:56
| Sedum is the kind of plant that I love. Just pinch and stick the tip in the garden. The "mother plant" is then healthy and full, without breaking down when in bloom. I also pinch the ground-covering sedums and other succulents such as ice plant and purple heart (perennial for me). I also take all of my mum cuttings and just stick those into good garden soil. Easy plants for creating mass plantings. |
Here is a link that might be useful: sedum tips planted
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| Looking at some taller sedums to plant behind my black eyed susans. Would Sedum autumn joy fit the bill in terms of height? |
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| Ha ha ken, I grow my sedums in Ozark rocky, clay soil, never fertilize (not even my hostas except that they get compost) and the sedums get only what water "God gives them: Still flop. Still have to pinch them back. Not digging out all those rocks to put sand in there. They must grow differently in Missouri zone 6b than in your zone 5. Autumn joy is already nearly 15" tall this spring and on it's way to flopping, and it isn't even close to fall blooming. Perhaps a bit of potassium would help with stronger stems and tighter growth, I'll have to try that. |
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