March 30, 2009

Santolina - Cotton Lavender - Pruning

I prune back my Santolina every spring in March. First picture shows it before pruning.
Without pruning it would get leggy and ugly. Pruning makes it more dense. Below after pruning:


Doesn't look very handsome NOW, but believe me it will look great - round and dense - in 2 months!

I am not an expert - just share my experience with you and I would be very happy if you share your experience with me, by adding comments.

I have read somewhere, that it can be pruned in the Summer, after flowering, to keep it shaped nicely and flowering every year.
I did not like yellow flowers, so I was not particularly looking for flowers of Santolina chamaecyparissus.

Assuming that I would like to promote flowers of Santolina - what shall I do?

Happy pruning!

6 comments:

Cindy Garber Iverson said...

Whenever I have to do this to my garden shrubs, I tell Hubby I've giving the garden a "haircut". My pineapple sage always looks so pathetic after I cut it back, but it would look worse if I didn't.

Cindy

vicki archer said...

I cut mine right back too Ewa and then it is so lovely in the summer, xv.

Anonymous said...

My Lavender Cotton looks different than this. Mine has little yellow blooms and never turns silver. There must be different kinds. I do love it. It has the most unusual scent. I can't even describe it.

A. M. Bell said...

Thanks for the photos, it's given me a bit more confidence to prune my Santolina a bit harder than I would have done otherwise :)

Anonymous said...

It's April 4 in Middle Tennessee. Is it too late to severely prune my Santolina?

Mattie said...

the variety of santolina that has cream flowers rather than yellow is variety Edward Bowles. I believe.

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