How to Trim Lantana in the Fall
Lantana is a fast-growing tropical shrub that can grow 6 feet tall and 8 feet wide in its native habitat. In the United States it is grown as a flowering perennial in mild areas and as an annual in harsher climates. The flowers are tiny and colorful, growing in clusters that can contain multiple colors on one stem. Trimming the lantana encourages blooms during the growing season, which is spring until frost. While full pruning is not recommended in the fall, a light trimming in areas with a warm fall can help extend the bloom period. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Sterilize your pruning shears with a swab of rubbing alcohol and allow them to dry. This can keep you from spreading any diseases between plants when working in the garden.
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Select the very tips of the lantana's shoots. Some light shaping may be done at this time, though it's not advised to make deep cuts to lantana in the fall.
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Trim the selected tips back very slightly, such as back to the first or second leaf notch, to encourage new blooms. This is the most that should ever be done in the autumn, with heavier pruning reserved for the summer months.
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Cut back the lantana completely in January, leaving only 12 inches of dead stem above ground, and cover with 3 inches of pine straw.
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Tips & Warnings
In areas where the lantana is grown as an annual, compost the plant and its soil in November, and start over with a new plant the following spring.
Lantana's leaves give off an ammonia odor similar to cat urine when crushed. For this reason, it is not recommended to use it along walkways where it could get stepped on.
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