Chelsea chop

[caroline7758]

Do you do it, if so which plants, and how do you know the plants are at the right stage (other than it being Chelsea week)?

[caroline7758]

[posie]

What the heck is it?  ???

[peasmad]

The Chelsea chop or May Prune, is where you reduce some flowering stems to prolong the flowering season. Plants like Ice Plants, Penstemons, Erysimum (bowles mauve), Some hardy Geraniums. Then there's the single plants in groups, Delphiniums.
The chop is where you reduce some of the flowering stems by 1/2 to 2/3, and they will still shoot up, but will become bushier and flower later. It is not a neccessity that it is done, but it does prolong the season of colour.
And while you're at pruning these plants, Things like the penstemmons ice plants etc, can be propagated to make new plants.

[star]

What the heck is it?  ???

Its ok Posie, I was going to say this should be in the recipe forum ;D!!!

Glad you cleared it up Peasmad, Id never heard of of it called that either :D ;)

[caroline7758]

Found this article on the RHS site (scroll down a bit)

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Learning/Publications/pubs/garden0805/perennialcuts.htm