Lambs ear, also known as Stachys byzantina, is a perennial plant that is quite popular with gardeners. This plant has soft and furry leaves that have a silver-green hue. During late spring to early summer, this plant produces lovely purple flowers on tall spikes. Lambs ear looks great in garden beds or borders and can add an interesting texture to your landscape design.
Pruning is essential for maintaining healthy lambs’ ears as it promotes vigorous growth and removes any diseased or dead parts of the plants. Proper and timely pruning throughout the growing season will help keep your plants looking tidy and attractive.
Here are some tips on how to prune lambs ear:
When to Prune
The ideal time to prune lambs’ ears depends on what type of pruning you intend to carry out. If you need general maintenance such as shaping or removing dead flower stalks, then wait until late winter when the first new shoots begin emerging from the soil. However, if you need more substantial pruning like cutting back overgrown foliage before it starts blocking sun rays from reaching other plants in your garden bed, do it during autumn after flowering has ceased.
Tools Required
To effectively prune Lambs Ear plants, there are a few tools required which include; sharp shears (pruning scissors) (for cutting smaller stems), loppers (for thicker branches), gloves(for protecting hands).
How To Prune Gently Overgrown Plants
If left unpruned for long periods of time,lambs ears may become leggy with spindly growth at their base due to lack of sunlight penetration deep within its foliage layer.Don’t worry though – this can be easily remedied by gently cutting away excess length at ground-level starting with peripheral branches.afterward,you might want trim away nonviable stem ends close enough within desirable buds.this ensures consistent lateral branching taking place throughout entire thickness without sacrificing too much top growth.
Deadheading Flowers
Since the flowers of lambs ear are produced on tall spikes, they can become unsightly after they have bloomed. Deadheading is an essential part of pruning Lambs Ear plants to keep them looking tidy and attractive. Snip off dead flower stalks at the base using shears or scissors to promote new growth and avoid unappealing seed pods from forming.
Cutting Back Plants
When winter approaches, it’s time to cut back lambs’ ears as a way of preparing for the dormant period ahead. Cut back all foliage down to 2-3 inches above ground level using sharp loppers or pruning saws if your plant has grown over-large . This step helps prevent disease by removing any diseased or dead areas that may harbor pathogens during colder seasons when there’s no active growth happening beneath soil surface.
In conclusion, pruning is an important aspect in maintaining healthy Lamb’s Ears plants throughout the year. Regularly trimming away excess foliage promotes vigorous growth while keeping them looking tidy and neat. With these tips on how to prune Lambs Ear, you will be able to maintain beautiful landscapes with ease!
