Fear of Cutting Back: Spike Speedwell + Montauk Daisies

16 years ago

By June of last year my spike speedwell (veronica spicata) had grown to about 3 feet tall, and the leaves and stems turned an unsightly brown.

The same with my montauk daisies, albeit this happened in september. Not such a bad thing since they are supported by a fence and did not flop, but they had the same unsightly browning.

A young woman from whom I buy plants told me to simply cut them back by half when they reach about 15" in height. I've read this works well for the montauks, but for the speedwell as well? They're now measure about 6" inch clumps. I imagine they'll reach 15" by the end of May.

Would pinching back the speedwell be a better idea? I've read to pinch back "to the first node," and I studied them over the weekend and am embarrassed to say I don't know what the "node" is.

Any advice on preventing extreme legginess in these guys?

Comment (1)

sharpshin
16 years ago
do not fear cutting back your montauks -- they won't bloom until october so there is no worry in whacking sharply back now. this will keep them from flopping over when they bloom.
cut them back right now to about 8 inches, making a nice, rounded, shapely, bush-like form. cut just above a bud. sometime if they grow madly, i'll cut them back again in mid june. they are nearly impossible to kill. i've never had them brown, but in the spring i have had them attacked by four-lined plant bugs, which stipple the new growth in brown. just cut off affected foliage.
sometimes taller veronicas (speedwells) will have leaf die-back from the bottom. this is a good arguement for planting them behind something that will conceal their legginess. if you think it is mildew affecting them, the cure is better air circulation.
hope this helps.
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