- Reasons for cutting the candytuft
- Prune in summer to encourage rebloom
- Cut down in fall to rejuvenate
- Corrective cut - recommended in spring
- gain cuttings
By nature, the candytuft is blessed with a compact and dense growth pattern. It grows ground-covering and has a rather low stature at 30 to 40 cm. To keep her both floriferous and healthy, pruning is recommended at certain times.
Regular pruning of the candytuft prevents it from growing
Reasons for cutting the candytuft
For several reasons, it can make sense to provide the candytuft with a cut. Here are the main reasons that can exist:
- avoid proliferation
- stimulate second flowering
- Win cut flowers for the vase
- harvest seeds
- remove diseased parts
- prevent self-seeding
- clean
- Get cuttings to propagate
- prepare for wintering
Prune in summer to encourage rebloom
Candytufts usually flower from May to June, July or even August - depending on the variety. When the first bloom is over, you can cut back your candytuft by a third. This pruning causes the plant to be strongly encouraged to form new shoots. New flower buds also appear with them. The result: In late summer there is a weaker second flowering.
Cut down in fall to rejuvenate
After the second flowering has also come to an end, the entire plant is cut down. This is appropriate in the fall. Alternatively, it can be done in spring. Autumn pruning rejuvenates the candytuft. The next year it drives out healthier and stronger.
Corrective cut - recommended in spring
If you haven't already done it in the fall, then do it in the spring. Dried and dead plant parts are radically removed. Cut the candytuft back about 10 cm above the ground! Even if you cut the plant in autumn, you can carry out a corrective cut in February - if necessary.
gain cuttings
In order to gain cuttings for propagation, the candytuft should be cut in summer or after flowering. For the propagation of cuttings, shoots that are about 10 cm long and green at the tips are required. They are placed in potting soil and kept moist. As a rule, they root quite quickly.
tips
If the candytuft is already well woody, it should generally be cut more carefully.