Given the beautiful, red flowers, you may be concerned about pruning your purple loosestrife. But if you pay attention to the right time and the right procedure, you will not harm the crop.

Loosestrife does not necessarily have to be cut

time

Spring is the ideal time to prune loosestrife. Alternatively, you can make the cut in the fall. In doing so, remove the dead sprout. The cut is made close to the ground.

Note: Purple loosestrife does not contain any toxic plant juices. Gloves are therefore not absolutely necessary. Apart from a measure against skin irritation, you should still protect yourself against cuts. Therefore, we still recommend wearing a fixed finger guard. Likewise, you should pay attention to the health of the plant and work only with sterile tools.

Is a pruning necessary?

With a maximum growth height of 2 m, the purple loosestrife remains relatively small. A significant pruning is therefore not absolutely necessary. However, you should note one feature:

When is pruning recommended?

The purple loosestrife is very prolific. In your own garden, this can quickly lead to an excessive population. To prevent this, do not actually cut back, but remove the seed heads manually. This is the only way to avoid self-sowing. By removing faded parts of the plant, you prevent seed formation.

Note: As an alternative to pruning, you can also divide your purple loosestrife if it is spreading too luxuriantly in the garden.

Also shorten the root ball

In the course of a division, it is advisable to reduce the volume of the root ball somewhat. The measure contributes to the rejuvenation of the plant. However, you should not use them too often either. The interval of 5 years is advisable. How to proceed:

  • Time: in the spring, when the first shoots sprout
  • Use a spade to cut off pieces about 15 cm in size
  • leave sufficient roots on the mother plant
  • remove woody roots with secateurs

Cut back in case of illness?

The loosestrife is extremely robust against pests and usually does not suffer from diseases that require pruning.

Category:

Vegetable garden