Well I just gave my mums a hair cut or else they would started blooming and this way they can get a little busher by the time october comes around. I have read not to cut things back past the middle of july at least for my zone or else you risk not having any blooms on the plant. I really need to trim up my balloon flowers they are already at least 3-4 ft tall. And they tend to flop over when they get too tall.

Paula

Nan, I wonder if someone on perennials would have before/after pics of the blooming plant for you if no one here does - Seems like I've seen one somewhere.

I have one clump of Joe Pye that's taller than 7' every year - I pinched it back one year and didn't like it any better than at its usual height. Two shoots appeared each side of every cut and I had more, but smaller, flower heads. What I'd wanted was the same sized flowers on a shorter plant :)

That particular plant is in morning shade, and our summers cool - maybe they behave differently other climates but I haven't pinched mine again.

Its been a while but I think I cut it back very beginning of summer.

If I didn't make that clear, I've seen a pic somewhere on GW that showed the effects of pinching back Joe Pye one year compared to how it looked reaching its natural height. It wasn't my photo, and I'm not sure now which forum but am guessing Perennials :)

The photos made me want to try it, but only the one time given my own results.

Thanks Mortz - - I'll go looking over on the perennial forum for the specifics on Joe Pye. I really like the full flowers so I might, like you, decide to leave it alone. I have about 25ft of it in a row along the back of one perennial bed and it is so lovely I don't want to hurt it. Last year I controlled the flopping with a long stretch of wire fencing, guess I could just do that again if I can remember where I put that roll of fencing (about 3' tall)!!!

I gave my plants their first haircut around June 1st or 2nd. I use the small hedge shears and they make short work of this task, it really doesn't take long at all. While I'm at it, I trim back any dying bulb foliage. Usually I trim only once in June, but will play it by ear.

This year I trimmed more perennials than ever before - Asters, Boltonia, Phlox, Solidago, Helianthus, Heliopsis, Rudbeckia, Monarda, Eupatorium, Mums, etc. With some of them, I cut the whole plant back, with some (like Monarda didyma) I only trim about 1/2 the tallest stalks. This way, I hope to extend the bloom time - the stalks that weren't pruned bloom earlier, the ones that were bloom later.

I pinch back hardy hibiscus when they get to about 10 or 12" tall.

Always lobelia cardinalis- also @ 10-12" height.

Sedum, whenever I get to them. They really need it now- it's on my "to do" list.

Maltese cross usually- I didn't do it this year and they were almost 5' tall when they bloomed.
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I can't think of any others now.

Karen