Cultivated in garden for abundant, long-lasting flowering, with white, trumpet-shaped flowers or in various shades of pink, and thin, slender stems, Gaura lindheimeri is a perennial plant belonging to family Onagraceae. Although very easy to grow, if you want it to thrive in your borders, it is important to prune it correctly and provide appropriate care. When and how to prune Gauras? How to cut back clumps? In this tutorial, we will show how to maintain your Gaura to promote its growth.
Why prune Gaura?
There are several reasons to prune Gaura :
- encourage denser growth and a more compact habit,
- encourage abundant flowering and abundant reflowering the following season,
- promote a longer lifespan.
When to prune Gaura?
Several options are available for timing pruning of your Gaura:
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At the end of winter, in March, to preserve a harmonious shape and remove dead stems. These should not be cut earlier, as they protect the plant base during the cold season. New shoots will appear soon.
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To prune Gaura using the "Chelsea chop" method, you can cut it in May or June depending on your region and climate. This will stimulate growth of new stems and encourage plentiful late flowering. It is important not to prune the plant too late, as this can reduce the time available for the plant to flower before the end of the season.
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2 to 3 times during summer to cut all spent stems. This will stimulate new flowers.
- After flowering, usually between late summer and early autumn. This will remove faded stems and stimulate growth for reflowering next season.
Do not prune Gaura during winter dormancy to avoid compromising its health and growth for the following season.
How to prune Gaura?
At the end of winter
- Using a well-sharpened pruning shear or shear, cut the stump back to about 5 cm above soil by removing all dry stems from the previous year
- If young shoots have started emerging from soil, do not prune them: they will develop and form a dense, floriferous clump
- Take the opportunity to remove adventive plants growing at the base of your Gauras that could hinder their growth
- Add a mulch at the base to retain moisture and warmth. You can use the cut dry stems chopped into small pieces or shredded
In May or June
Using a pruning shear, a pair of scissors or by pinching stem tips between thumb and forefinger, pinch the tips of stems not yet in flower. The plant will develop in a straighter, more harmonious way, adopt a neat, compact habit and you will obtain a larger number of flower buds. Plants will not become leggy; on the contrary they will retain a full, bushy appearance, with pleasing proportions.
This technique also allows you to select stems to cut (every other one, for example), allowing you to stagger the plant's overall flowering in time: this gives control over flowering duration, making it longer. The borders are thereby enhanced for the whole season!
Required equipment
To prune Gaura, you will need:
- a pruning shear that is well-sharpened
- shear that are well-sharpened or even a small electric or petrol hedge trimmer if your borders contain many plants to prune with a multitude of dry stems
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