Gardening for idiots: When to cut back a woody fuchsia and preparing echinacea for winter
The Plant Doctor's weekly tips and tricks for the green-fingered
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Q) I have a large woody fuchsia in my garden and I wonder when I should cut it back?
A) The golden rule with pruning is to cut after flowering so you don’t accidentally remove the material where this year’s flowers will appear. Cut a third off a plant if you really need the space now, and if it’s still too big you can give it another cut in March, just before the new growth appears. Leaving old growth through the winter protects the roots from frost.
Q)...and what about my lavender?
A) Again, cut these back once the bulk of flowering is finished. Cut to a couple of inches above the woody part of the stem to prevent the woody stems getting longer. If you forget to do it now, March/April offers another window.
Q) My echinacea has stopped flowering now, what should I do with it?
A) Most herbaceous plants are now past their best. You have two options. You can cut them to a few inches above ground in the next month or so, or wait until March/April and cut them as above, or you pull off the old growth when it’s ready to detach. Give it a tug and it will come away easily.
Coolings.co.uk, the gardener’s garden centre
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments