The candytuft is naturally blessed with a compact and dense growth pattern. It grows ground-covering and has a rather low stature at 30 to 40 cm. In order to keep them both blooming and he althy, pruning is recommended at some times.
When and how should you cut the candytuft?
The candytuft should be cut back by a third in the summer after the first flowering to encourage rebloom. In autumn or alternatively in spring it is cut down completely for rejuvenation. In summer, cuttings can also be taken for propagation.
Reasons for cutting the candytuft
It can make sense to cut the candytuft for several reasons. Here are the main reasons that there can be:
- Avoid growths
- stimulate second flowering
- Win cut flowers for the vase
- Harvesting seeds
- remove diseased parts
- Prevent self-seeding
- clean
- Get cuttings for propagation
- preparing for wintering
Cut in summer to encourage rebloom
Titleflowers usually bloom from May and until June, July or even August - depending on the variety. When the first bloom is over, you can cut your candytuft back by a third. This pruning has the effect of strongly stimulating the plant to produce new shoots. Along with them, new flower buds also appear. The result: weaker blooms occur in late summer.
Cut down for rejuvenation in autumn
After the secondary flowering has come to an end, the entire plant is cut down. This is appropriate in the fall. Alternatively, it can be done in spring. Autumn pruning rejuvenates the candytuft. Next year it will sprout again he althier and stronger.
Corrective cut – recommended in spring
If you haven't done it in the fall, do it in the spring. Dried and dead plant parts are radically removed. Cut the candytuft back to about 10 cm above the ground! Even if you have already cut the plant in autumn, you can carry out a corrective cut in February - if necessary.
Gain cuttings
In order to obtain cuttings for propagation, the candytuft should be cut in summer or after flowering. For propagation by cuttings, shoots that are approximately 10 cm long and green at the tips are required. They are placed in potting soil and kept moist. As a rule, they root quite quickly.
Tip
If the candytuft is already well woody, it should generally be cut more carefully.
