Re: Trimming Corydalis 'Blackberry Wine'

At 02:29 PM 8/31/2003 -0400, you wrote:
Several weeks ago, Marge and I discussed trimming back Corydalis 'Blackbery
Wine' because it was sprawling. I never got around to it--don't know whether
Marge did or not. But I'm seeing now that those long trailing stems have pretty
much dried up and blown away while the central plant has lush new growth. In
spite of me.
I'm sorry I missed that conversation in my move. Most herbaceous perennials, including corydalis can be trimmed back quite heavily when they get a bit sprawling. It is a common practice in production nurseries to keep the plants trim and bushy for retail appeal. Grow them until they get too leggy and then cut them back to the soil line or crown to regrow. Its the only way to keep them ready for sale. :-)

In fact, cutting back perennials in the garden is something that most gardeners don't do enough. One example is pulmonaria. If you cut this back drastically (right to the ground) after it has finished blooming in the spring, you'll get a better foliage show as well as reduced powdery mildew problems.

Whack 'em back. :-)
Doug
Doug Green
Author of the award winning "Gardening Wisdom"
Free gardening newsletter at www.gardening-tips-perennials.com

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