How do I keep the fall-blooming sedum in my garden from splaying open? That was my question on a gardening forum. The answer was, of course, to pinch back the tips anytime in late May through July 4. That wasn't all the advice that I received from Carrie, another North Carolina gardener. Carrie suggested that I take the tips and just stick them in the soil to make new plants.
I posed the question about sedum maintenance as I had not grown the large-leaved sedum long enough to have experience - because the deer eat them! You wouldn't think a sedum would be on the deer menu, but they sure ate the 'Autumn Joy' that I tried a few years ago.
In September 2008, I planted three fall-blooming sedum in the protected and fenced cottage garden. I purchased 'Bekka', 'Green Expectations' and 'Purple Emperor' (top photo) from a local nursery where I could see the bloom colors to make sure they coordinated with my magenta, purple and blue color scheme.
I've used this "pinch and plant" method with delosperma cooperii (ice plant) quite successfully. It works especially well when the soil is wet from rain.
To be able to expand my sedum population with just routine maintenance pinching is great. Sedum can be quite expensive, so this is also an economical way to expand the garden.
Using my smallest hand pruners, I carefully cut off the full tips of the sedum. Most of the tips were 4-5 inches in length. I trimmed off the lower leaves to create enough stalk to plant the tip. After a few weeks of keeping the soil slightly moist, all of the tips are now firmly rooted as new plants. I had almost too many tips to find space! When I started pruning off the tips, I hadn't stopped to think about how many new plants I would have. Making a quick decision, I planted the tips along the stepping stone and gravel paths in the cottage garden. I tried to mix them in with other edging plants, rather than creating a row of edging. I think the plants will be easy enough to move when I need to do some rearranging.
The "mother" plants look great as the tips are growing back quite nicely. I will have pretty, mounded plants for my fall blooms without any splaying.
With so many free plants, I may even try to grow a few sedum outside the fence again - in deer territory!
Story and photos by Freda Cameron; Location: Home Garden; June 2009
Oh Cameron, you take such care to replant these tip cuttings. Ihave Sedum 'Neon' in the backyard...in many places. Ya know why? Because the dogs (mostly Skyler) barrel headlong into the garden looking for a ball and break off the stalk, step on it, and Voila'--new plant. Thank goodness! I have put small fencing around some of the garden area to keep the stampede to a minimum.
ReplyDeleteYou know I never knew this about sedum until about 4 years ago my daughter said stick the cuttings in the soil and they'll root. I still get a laugh she had to tell me a tip on gardening. You are sharing a very good tip for other gardeners who do not know this-but beware! Like you found, it can be addicting and you may wind up with more plants than you need.
ReplyDeleteHey Cameron
ReplyDeleteSimply, ta for this. I new about cutting back sedum to stop it getting leggy, but had no idea they were so easy propogate in this way.
Rob
Hi Cameron, what beauties you have and who doesn't love free plants? Purple Emperor is a fave here too. Sometimes when the mother plants gets a little woody in the center, the babies are ready to step in for her. Gotta love it. :-)
ReplyDeleteFrances
What I love so much about gardening is finding out what I don't know!
ReplyDeleteThere's always something to learn from the experience of growing a plant, from other gardeners or by reading.
I'm trying to increase plants of interest in the fall and these large sedum will help.
They do root easily but i didn't think about cutting them back to keep them from splaying...I see I still have time with the later blooming sedums! ...and Green Expectations is a beauty. gail
ReplyDeleteTimely advice as I'm trying to get out between raindrops and pinch mine back.
ReplyDeleteHi Cameron, I just finished pinching mine back. I must have stuck about 20 tips so there will be a lot of plants to use or pass along to others.
ReplyDeleteMarnie
Thanks for this good advise, Cameron. I'm always sticking bits and pieces of plants in the ground or pots to see if they'll grow, but I hadn't thought to pinch off the tips of the taller sedums, and I'd certainly like more of my Sedum Neon.
ReplyDeleteI've been given a couple more of the tall sedums lately. Always love passalongs :)
Your garden is looking glorious at the moment - a wonderful testament to all your hard work and loving care. I've enjoyed your vacation photos of France too. What a wonderful trip you had!
I thoroughly enjoyed your comment on my Bloom Day post. Thanks for visiting. I've been lucky so far with the birds not nesting in my baskets. I've never seen wrens here, but would love to have seen yours in the begonia basket. It amazes me that the plants survived without water for the nesting period.
Happy Summer and gardening!
Love this tip, and following your blog, Cameron! Thanks for doing such a wonderful service for Carolina gardeners.
ReplyDeleteFOLLOW UP:
ReplyDeleteSee the tips in 2010 -- all grown up and blooming!
http://definingyourhome.blogspot.com/2010/09/sedum-tips-all-grown-up-and-blooming.html