Pruning Russian sage is passing easy ! The undecomposed part is that you do n’t have to concern about over doing it , you ca n’t kill a Russian sage shrub by over - pruning .
If you have Russian sage ( Perovskia atriplicifolia ) in your garden , then you know how sorry they can look after the winter .
All those dead branch leave your plant see surly and one-half dead . So it ’s important to learn how to ignore back Russian salvia to keep it expect its good all summertime long .
My Russian sage before pruning
But when it comes topruning plants , Russian sage is one of the easiest to do .
Before we start , I want to mention that there are dissimilar character of Russian sage plant . These pruning tips work for all of them ! So , no matter which variety you have , you could follow these stride .
Table of Contents
Why Should You Prune Russian Sage
Pruning is an important part of Russian salvia maintenance . If you do n’t cut back Russian salvia , the plant will become very overgrown and woody , which does n’t look very gracious .
It ’s also important to know that Russian salvia wo n’t grow back at the tips of the plant after the winter , and the branches die back towards the bottom of the plant life .
So the dead twig that are sticking out above the leaves in the spring will be there all summertime if you do n’t prune it .
Related Post : How To Care For Russian Sage
When To Prune Russian Sage
you’re able to prune out the dead maturation any meter , you wo n’t harm the plant . But , the best time for prune Russian salvia is in the spring .
I ascertain it easy to wait until the folio have started sprout before I prune mine so I know just where to thin out .
If you favor , you may prune your plant while it ’s still dormant . Since you ca n’t over - prune a Russian sage bush , you do n’t have to concern about exactly where to make your cut .
former spring pruning is a good time to mold it if you need a nicely formed , rounded works .
Tools For Pruning Russian Sage
Russian sage stems are woody , and can be pretty chummy in spots , so I recommend usingpruning shearsfor the job .
If you have a large shrub , you could usehedge shearsor anelectric hedge trimmerto make pruning easier .
I also like to useprecision pruning snipsfor smaller branches and tips if I ’m working around cranky Modern leaves .
Whatever garden pruning tool you employ , just be certain they are alwayscleaned and sharpenedbefore you start cut .
Russian Sage Pruning Techniques
There are three techniques you’re able to practice for dress Russian sage : cut it back all the way down to the land , trim it for shape , or hold off for new growth in the outflow .
The last one is the method acting I care to apply , and I ’ve include the step - by - step instructions below .
Method 1: Cut It Down To The Ground
If your Russian sage is really woody and has n’t been rationalise before , then you might want to seek burn it all the way down to the ground . This will restore the works so it will come back fuller and shaggy-coated .
you could use this technique every year to make pruning easier if you want , it wo n’t hurt the works .
But only use this method in very early springiness while the plant is still dormant , and before the foliage have formed .
If your Russian sage farewell have already started stock , then use methods 2 or 3 alternatively , and wait until next saltation to cut it all the way back .
Method 2: Prune It For Shape
With this method acting , you may usehedge shearsor anelectric hedge trimmerto shape your Russian sage bush to a squeamish rounded form .
Like I mentioned above , you ca n’t kill Russian sage by over pruning it , so you really do n’t have to be deliberate .
In fact , you want to be aggressive with tumid shrubs . When using this method , cut enceinte plants back to about a foot gamy .
Method 3: Spring Pruning
This is my favourite method , but it ’s also the most deadening . So , I ’ve included step - by - stride instructions for how to cut back Russian sage using this method below …
How To Trim Russian Sage Step By Step
If your Russians sage flora is small like mine or it ’s unfledged , then it ’s best to hand prune it like I do . You do n’t have to be very careful here , if you cut too low on the plant , it ’s not going to pain it .
stone’s throw 1 : Look for the new maturation – Find the blot on the branch where there are novel leaves . That is usually towards the bottom of the root , but it can be much farther up on some stems .
If any of the arm are sticking out a lot higher than others , then you could cut them back to the same duration so the plant is shapely .
Or you may leave them longer if you do n’t care about the shape of the plant .
Step 2 : Cut justly above the fresh leaves – Usingpruning shearsorprecision pruning snipping , cut off back the old prow right above the patch where the fresh foliage is coming out of the bow .
attempt to make the cut as penny-pinching to the leaves as you could , any part of the dead arm that is nonplus out will be there all summertime .
When they ’re small , the new folio are very frail and can break off easily , so be careful . But if you accidentally pink off a few , it ’s really not a big mass . They will amount back .
whole step 3 : Remove any dead branch – If you find dead outgrowth that do n’t have any novel leaves on them , you could cut those down to the reason .
Many times the dead branches will break off well , so you’re able to just snap them off at the base if that ’s easy .
There you have it ! I told you prune Russian sage would be loose . Pruning is an important part of Russian sage care , and it help to keep your plant looking its best .
you’re able to use any of the three method acting every year for all the different Russian salvia varieties . Or you’re able to alternate these method from twelvemonth to twelvemonth as you require to keep your salubrious and shapely .
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