How to Prune Verbena: 13 Steps
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Pruning verbena is an essential part of their maintenance, promoting healthy growth and vibrant blooms. Follow these 13 steps to effectively prune your verbena plants and keep them flourishing throughout the season.
1. Choose the right time: Prune verbena in late winter or early spring before the new growth starts. For perennial verbenas, annual pruning is a must. However, you may also trim them back in the summer after they finish blooming to encourage a second flush of flowers.
2. Gather the right tools: For pruning verbena, you will need a pair of sharp, clean pruners or gardening shears.
3. Clean your tools: Disinfect your pruning equipment using rubbing alcohol or a 10% bleach solution. This prevents the transmission of any diseases between plants.
4. Inspect the plant: Begin by carefully examining the entire plant and identifying the parts that need pruning. Look for dead, damaged, or diseased branches as well as any overcrowded growth.
5. Remove dead or damaged branches: Carefully prune any dead, damaged, or diseased stems at a 45-degree angle using your clean shears. Make sure to cut just above a healthy node or leaf junction.
6. Trim back leggy growth: Prune back any long, leggy stems by one-third to one-half to promote bushier and more compact growth.
7. Encourage branching: Create a more balanced shape by cutting back older stems just above a bud or new branch growing in the desired direction.
8. Pinch out young growth (optional): For vigorous varieties, pinch out the growing tips of young shoots when they are approximately 4-6 inches long to encourage bushier growth.
9. Remove spent flowers: Throughout the flowering season, deadhead spent blooms by carefully snipping them off just below the flower head. This keeps the plant looking tidy and encourages further blooming.
10. Repeat pruning as needed: For trailing varieties or verbenas with heavy blooms, you may need to trim back the branches slightly after each flush of flowers to maintain their shape.
11. Monitor plant health: Keep an eye on your verbena’s overall health after pruning. Ensure the plant receives adequate water, sunlight, and nutrients for optimal growth.
12. Be patient: It may take a few weeks for your pruned verbena to produce new growth and blooms. Don’t worry; the end result will be worth the wait!
13. Maintain a regular pruning schedule: Commit to pruning your verbena plants annually to promote healthier growth, more robust flowers, and an extended blooming season.
By following these 13 steps, you can effectively prune your verbena – ensuring that they remain vibrant, healthy, and beautiful throughout the entire growing season.