Verbena - these beauties, eager to bloom all summer long, do not require much care. But cutting should be given special importance. You can now find out why and what needs to be considered.

Why should verbens be cut?

There are several reasons for pruning verbs from time to time. For one thing, pruning is important if you want to get your verbena through the winter.

On the other hand, pruning is necessary if you want to extend the flowering period and prevent the seeds from forming, which costs the plant a lot of energy. If the faded inflorescences are cut off, the verbena is stimulated to develop new flower buds.

Furthermore, a cut can be useful to win a bouquet for the vase or dried bouquets. Likewise, fruit shoots can be cut off for later drying and storage of the seeds and eventual propagation.

When do the scissors have to be pulled out?

In the course of summer and until autumn, the faded inflorescences are regularly cut back. New inflorescences appear on it, and the flowering period lasts until the first frost. Bees are particularly pleased with the recurring blooms…

If you want to make a bouquet, you should cut the verbena in the morning when the morning dew has dried. Ideally, the flower buds on the shoots are closed or partially open, which is when the flower stalks last the longest in the vase.

For overwintering, the verbena should be cut back to just above the ground in autumn. All parts of the plant above ground die off over the winter. Alternatively, it can be radically shortened after hibernating in the spring before budding.

What is there to consider when cutting?

The following points should not be forgotten when cutting:

  • do not cut at sub-zero temperatures
  • use sharp, clean scissors (not that you've previously used them to remove mildew-infested shoots on another plant…)
  • cut immediately if the verbena is affected by diseases

tips and tricks

If you want to create a verbena bouquet, you should cut off the flower stalks at an angle, remove the bottom leaves and place the bouquet in a glass with room-warm water and a little lemon juice or sugar.

KKF

Category:

Indoor plants