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Cutting down perennials for a second crop of flowers

I have a lovely clump of Astrantia Roma and when the flowers had gone over in early July I cut off all the flowering stalks, hoping for a second crop.  Now I'm wondering whether I should have cut down all the foliage as well.  What do you think?  

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The other plants I'm not sure what to do with, are scabiosa caucasica, which have been blooming for several weeks, but look to be producing very few more buds.  How low should I cut them down?

 

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  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039

    Verdun, I think a lot depends on where you live. With your climate I would expect most things to bloom again, whereas up here in tnorth, I cannot get a lot to perform more than once.

    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • You may be right punkdoc.  I'm in Harrogate.  Where are you?  Thank you for the advice Verdun.  I shall act on it.  After all I suppose they won't die if I cut them back. image  Nothing venture, nothing gain!

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,064

    Cutting back can renew vigour and give you fresh looking foliage which is less susceptible to rust, mildew etc.   Just be sure you give the plants a good watering and maybe some liquid tomato food to help them renew themselves.

    I do it for my hardy geraniums and usually get a second flush of flowers.   With things like pulmonaria I just get fresh new foliage.   For geums and astrantias I usually just take off all the spent flower stems and any browning foliage.   

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Beaus MumBeaus Mum Posts: 3,554

    With my astrantias I just pull out the stems that have gone to seed and all have re flowered image I pull ot the dead leaves but didn't think to cut all of them? 

  • Beaus MumBeaus Mum Posts: 3,554

    Ps happy cotton tail the pics are beautiful and my fave plants, you should post on the garden gallery thread to share with everyone as they are quite lovely image

  • Alina WAlina W Posts: 1,445

    I've had delphiniums, lupins and foxgloves re-flowering every year for a long time now, and I'm only about 30 miles from Harrogate, punkdoc.

    I think that soil/sun matters, too - all of mine are in relatively poor soil, but they do get plenty of water, moderate sunshine and are fairly sheltered. I don't cut my plants down completely, just get rid of dead leaves and the old flower spikes.

  • I cut down my Dicentras, and they seem to have died! image

  • Thank you for your kind comments about my pics Beaus Mum.  I'll get some into the gallery when I find the time. image

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