Torch lilies or rocket flowers require little maintenance. This is also evident when cutting back the perennials. However, you have to pay attention to something so that the plants start many flowers. The pruning can only be done in spring.

Properly cut torch lily

Autumn is the time for the gardener to cut back all the perennials in the perennial bed and prepare them for winter.

Torch lilies are an exception here. You should never cut them back in the fall, but rather leave the evergreen leaves on the plant over the winter and tie them together over the heart of the plant.

  • Cut back in spring
  • Do not cut back in autumn
  • Cut leaves above the ground
  • Cut off faded flowers immediately

How to do the pruning correctly.

In spring, use scissors to cut back the torch lily. Cut off last year's foliage a hand's breadth above the ground.

Make sure that you do not damage any new shoots or inflorescences that may have appeared when cutting back.

Take the opportunity to provide the perennial with some ripe compost after pruning.

Cut off faded flowers immediately

During the flowering period, you should always cut off blossomed inflorescences immediately. You can only leave the blossoms if you want to collect seeds to propagate the torch lily yourself.

Use garden shears to cut the stems as low as possible.

By cutting off the faded flowers, you prevent the seed inside from maturing. The ripening of the seeds robs the torch lily of a lot of energy, so that it does not bloom as beautifully the next year.

When the torch lily forms many leaves

Torch lilies tend to have a lot of foliage. However, you should not cut the leaves so as not to damage the plant.

If the perennial develops a lot of leaves, this is usually a sign that the soil contains too much nitrogen. This is often the reason why the torch lily blooms little or not at all.

tips and tricks

The long, slender torch lilies are also very good as cut flowers in floor vases. They can be combined with other summer flowers to create colorful bouquets. The flowers are very popular with florists because of their long shelf life in the vase.

Category:

Herbs