Cut Weigelie Florida: All About The Procedure And Timing
For the Weigelie florida to develop its beautiful flowers fully, it should be pruned regularly. We reveal when and how the perfect cut is made. The Weigela originally comes from the Far East of Asia.
But with its distinct flowering richness in shades of white, pink, and red on its overhanging branches, it soon convinced European gardeners as well. The cut-tolerant plant found its way to England as early as 1845, from where it easily conquered the gardens of Central Europe. Over time, well over a hundred different varieties developed from the ten or so known species, offering something for every taste.
Cutting The Weigelie Florida: The Perfect Time
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When is the right time to cut the Weigelie florida depends a little on the purpose? Old and withered wood should be cut primarily at the end of February. Weigelie florida that been neglected for many years can even be radically rejuvenated at this time and cut back to short stumps of branches. The shrubs can regenerate from basal adventitious buds. Choose a frost-free and preferably cloudy day for rejuvenation to prevent damage to the cut surfaces by frost and sun.
In summer, on the other hand, only minor interventions are possible, because Weigelie florida provide valuable habitats for a myriad of animal species. For this reason, the Federal Nature Conservation Act prohibits the felling of woody plants between March and September, or to prune them more heavily.
At this time, therefore, only a restrained topiary should be carried out if you wish to do so. The right time for this is directly after flowering, i.e. around the end of June. This pruning can help your Weigelie florida become more compact but is not necessary.
How Often Do You Have To Prune The Weigelie florida?
In principle, it is not necessary to prune the Weigelie florida back. As a so-called myotonic shrub, it grows less in height but more in width. It reaches a height of about two meters and a width between two and three meters.
However, pruning back counteracts the clogging and supports increased flower formation. Also, regular pruning keeps the Weigelie florida compact. A rejuvenating cut is therefore advisable approximately every two years in late winter. Topiary pruning after flowering can be done every year.
Procedure For Cutting The Weigelie Florida
Before cutting the Weigelie florida – and also other plants – you should first pay special attention to your tool. The tool should be sharp to produce smooth edges. This way the plant is not unnecessarily injured and fungi and other pests have less chance to penetrate the wounds.
Of course, a certain level of hygiene is also important. Garden shears and saws should therefore be clean. Especially if you have cut previously diseased woody plants, it can be worthwhile to clean the tools beforehand.
A further measure to ensure that the cuts do not become an entry point for harmful organisms is a sloping cutting edge. This prevents water from standing on it and the wounds dry out well after every rain.
Rejuvenation Cut
First cut off all withered branches of your weigelie directly at the base as far down as possible. Even dead branches can be cut back to the next branch fork. Since old wood is less prone to flowering than young wood, it is also a good idea to remove old branches. Therefore, leave all one to five-year-old shoots and only take out the old shoots. Since the shrub blooms in May on the perennial shoots, a radical cut would cause the flower to fail this year.
Topiary Cut In The Weigelie
A delicate topiary after the shrub has finished flowering at the end of June can contribute to a more compact growth. To achieve this, you can cut back the flowering shoots to the next branch bifurcation or the next dormant bud. This does not endanger the subsequent flowering in autumn, as this is done on this year’s wood.
