Männertreu only requires moderate care, such as regular watering and fertilizing. A complicated pruning is not necessary. Of course you should cut off any wilted ones, they just look prettier. It also makes sense to cut back before overwintering.
How and when should men's hair be cut?
Männertreu can be cut back by half or a third of its size in summer to encourage a second bloom. Pruning is also recommended before overwintering. Diseased plant parts should be removed immediately.
Pruning for a second flower
Occasionally, in the middle of summer, the flowering of the Male True slows down a bit. Then cut it back to about half or a third of its previous size. This encourages it to bloom again, this time well into autumn. After the first frost nights, one-year-old males can be disposed of. You can definitely try overwintering perennial plants.
Pruning in case of disease or pest infestation
Mentreu is not very susceptible to illness, but sometimes it does happen to him. Care errors are often to blame, for example watering too much or too little. There is little you can do about root or stem rot; the plant may recover if you replace the soil and water more correctly in the future.
Fungal infestation is shown by a white fluff on the soil, which should then be completely replaced, or by round spots on the leaves. In this case, cut off affected parts of the plant. As a precaution, you can treat the rest of the plant with a fungicide.
Mentreu is more often infected by tospoviruses, which are transmitted by thrips. When an infestation occurs, the leaves turn purple and sometimes they also develop white spots. Without treatment, the plant threatens to die. Be sure to cut off affected parts of the plant. With a glue board you can prevent the disease by setting a trap for the person causing it.
The most important things in brief:
- Pruning in summer stimulates a second flowering
- cut back to about a third to half
- Pruning recommended before overwintering
- immediately cut off diseased plant parts
Tips & Tricks
The blue lobelia will bloom again if you shorten the plant by half to two thirds when the flowering wanes.
