There are different opinions among gardeners about the pruning of the sack flower, which are also quite justified. After all, there are various varieties, which of course also have different requirements for care due to their different sizes.

Regular pruning promotes flowering

Does the sack flower have to be cut regularly?

Regular pruning of your sack flower is definitely recommended so that you can look forward to lush flowering. Whether this is better done in spring or autumn depends on your care habits, but also on the variety. Some buckhorns bloom on old wood, while others bloom on this year's young shoots.

If your sackflower blooms on the young shoots, we recommend pruning them back in late winter before they sprout again in spring. Varieties that bloom on old wood, on the other hand, can also be cut back in autumn.

In the spring you should remove any frozen shoots. June, on the other hand, is the right time to take cuttings for propagation. If you haven't prune your buckhorn in a few years, it's probably time to do a rejuvenation pruning.

Is pruning recommended after flowering?

Slight pruning of the shoot tips immediately after flowering should promote compact growth. Regularly remove the withered flower spikes, then stimulate your sackflower to form new buds and thus bloom longer and more luxuriantly.

Prune the sac flower in the hedge

If you have planted an entire hedge with sack flowers, you should definitely prune them regularly. On the one hand, this cut serves to maintain a beautiful shape, on the other hand, you prevent the sackcloth from becoming too lignified and only blooming a little.

The rejuvenation cut at the sack flower

A so-called rejuvenation pruning is recommended for older sack flowers that are already woody and only bloom sparingly. Do it in three stages spread over the next three years. Every year, cut back a third of the existing shoots to about half their previous length, so that in the end all the shoots are shortened.

The essentials in brief:

  • annual pruning recommended
  • Cut blooming buckskin flowers in autumn on old wood
  • Cut blooming buckskin flowers on the young shoots in spring
  • Shorten shoots by about a third
  • always cut over an outward-pointing eye
  • Cut off wilted flowers to allow them to sprout again
  • Spread the rejuvenation cut over 3 years
  • Cut back older buckhorns more vigorously
  • Cut cuttings in early summer

tips

If you are not sure whether your buckhorn will bloom on the old or new wood, it is best to cut the plant back only slightly in autumn. In case of doubt, cutting back in the spring could lead to a failure of the flower.

Category:

Herbs