When to Prune Sedum?
Sedum is the name of a category of succulents -- plants with a particular ability to retain water in dry, desert-like climates -- that thrive all over the northern hemisphere. Because of these water retention abilities, gardeners know Sedums as low maintenance plants. This quality gives Sedum flowers their common name -- stonecrop -- because the joke says that only stones need less attention than do Sedums. Of course, this doesn't mean that Sedums thrive on neglect altogether; they do require some maintenance from time to time, such as pruning. Does this Spark an idea?
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Importance of Pruning
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Sedums can thrive so well in intense sunlight and with so little water that they grow rapidly in the warm months, sometimes too rapidly in fact. A Sedum can grow so much foliage that it can block sunlight for other parts of the plant and lead to malnutrition of those parts. A Sedum may grow so much that its stem can no longer support the weight of all of its growth. Under these conditions, foliage near the top of the plant can snap off and fall to the ground, leaving an unsightly mess at best.
When to Prune
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The best time of year to prune a Sedum is early summer, particularly in late May or early June. You will also need to prune your Sedum anytime it has grown beyond where you want it to grow. Sedums vary widely in the maximum growing height from a few inches to several feet, so the maximum height after which you should prune your Sedums varies according to what Sedum varietal you've planted.
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How to Prune
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Simply snap or twist foliage off by hand if you need to expose interior parts of the plant to sunlight. For larger stems and foliage, use a hand-held pair of pruning shears or a retractable razor blade, but avoid bruising the plant while doing so. An alternative method is to cut the outer 3 to 4 inches of growth off the outside of the plant or to cut the growing tips off of each stem. This latter pruning method results in a Sedum that will grow back stronger and sturdier in successive growing seasons.
When Not to Prune
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If you live in an area with a high deer population, pruning may not be necessary. Deer are attracted to Sedum blooms and will eat them, thereby effectively controlling a Sedum plant that has grown out of control. If you want more Sedums to grow in the area surrounding your current Sedum plant, snap off branches from your main Sedum plant and push them into the ground or simply leave them on the ground; in most cases the Sedum stem will plant roots wherever it touches the ground and grow an entirely new Sedum plant.
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