What are the common problems with wallflowers?
Insects such as aphids, slugs, or snails, and diseases like powdery mildew or downy mildew can significantly damage Wallflower plants. Aphids might cause leaves to curl or deform, whereas slugs leave visible holes in foliage. Verbena thrives in full sun with well-drained soil that has been prepared with well-rotted compost. In cold conditions, it can suffer dieback if cut back in autumn, so it’s best to leave the plant until spring and cut back the old growth when you see the new shoots emerging at the base.The best time to prune is after flowering. If the plant needs to be renovated, or severely reduced, this can be done late winter and early spring just before growth begins. Remove old flowers (deadhead) and cut back to healthy outward facing buds. Remove damaged, diseased, old wood and straggly growth.The most intense pruning will occur in early spring. In the summer, you can remove some of the height of the plant to encourage flowers to blossom. In the fall, you just have to remove seed heads and dead flowers. Avoid pruning too much, however, as it could stunt the growth of your verbena plant.Take care of wallflowers by keeping the soil or compost moist, especially when plants are flowering. Regular liquid feeds will help prolong the flowering period. Deadheading plants and removing the developing seedpod may prolong flowering of bedding wallflowers.How to care for Erysimum. Deadhead regularly throughout the flowering period to encourage the formation of more flowers. Trim perennial plants back lightly after flowering, to reduce ‘legginess’. Take care to avoid cutting into older, woody growth, as plants will rarely regrow from this.
What is the lifespan of a wallflower?
Though many people grow wallflowers as biennials – chucking them out after they have flowered – they are in fact short lived perennials and will live for 4 or 5 years in many gardens. Although western wallflower is technically a perennial plant, it’s often considered a biennial due to its short lifespan (rarely does it live past its second year).Luckily they are super easy to grow from seed so you can add a huge number of plants to the garden each year. Most wallflowers are biennials, meaning that sown from seed, the plant will spend its first year establishing its roots and foliage, and it will go on to flower, set seed and die in its second year.Biennial, bedding wallflowers are discarded after flowering. But perennial types will live on and can remain in your garden if properly cared for over several years.Sow biennal wallflowers annually in late spring and plant them out in autumn. Dig them up and compost them after flowering. Plant perennial wallflowers between May and September. Cut back periodically to maintain a good shape and promote flowering.Many wallflowers are biennial and will only flower for one season, however some wallflowers are perennials, such as ‘Bowles Mauve’ and will come back year after year.
Can you cut wallflowers down for winter?
Today we are going to cut back some Erysimum, which you may know as wallflowers, these are perennial wallflowers. They don’t necessarily need, to be cut back for their health, but it will make them more compact and hopefully bring you a nicer plant in the spring. The way to extend the lifespan of wallflowers and keep them compact and vigorous is to give them a yearly midsummer trim by cutting into the foliage. However if the erysimum stems are very woody, cut back hard to the base, but try to take a few insurance cuttings straight afterwards.To keep it tidy and extend its’ life it needs pruning but the standard rule of ‘cut it back when it stops flowering’ doesnt work with this one as it flowers for so long. My method is as follows: wait till the first wave of flowers have reached the stage of just a few flowers at the end of long stalks.
How to keep wallflowers for next year?
Plant wallflowers from May to June to have them ready and flowering by the following spring. Wallflowers can only be grown as perennials if kept in pots with very good drainage. You will also need to overwinter them in a frost-free place or keep them in mild conditions. Biennial wallflowers are brilliant as spring and summer bedding, particularly when grown with tulips or other bulbs, bringing colour to the garden from March. There are also perennial wallflowers, which can be extremely long-flowering, returning year after year with very little effort, though some can be short-lived.Bedding wallflowers prefer to be grown in full sun but will tolerate light or dappled shade. For best result they prefer a fertile soil enriched with lots of organic matter which holds plenty of moisture in spring and summer and doesn’t dry out or become waterlogged.
Can I take cuttings in October?
While September was the last month for taking semi-ripe cuttings, October and November are the best times for hardwood cuttings, as the plants enter a period of dormancy. If you miss these propagation deadlines, it’s best to wait until early spring, especially for less hardy plants. September is a good time to take cuttings of many plants. Some plants, such as half-hardy perennials or tender shrubs, may not make it through the winter, so by taking cuttings you can ensure that you can enjoy them the following year.If you have a favourite shrub, it’s easy to make more plants by taking cuttings. From late June to early August, many plants produce fresh, firm shoots that can removed from the plant with a pair of secateurs and will readily root when put into damp compost.Most softwood cuttings are taken in spring and early summer, from the tender new growth of the season. If potted by mid-summer they will develop sufficient roots to survive the winter, otherwise pot up in the following spring.Cuttings from many annual plants will keep over winter, sprout roots, and be ready for planting in spring. You may place them in pots or cups without drainage filled with moist perlite or vermiculite. Locate them at first in bright light, away from the sun. Move later to an area where they receive morning sun.
Can I take cuttings from perennials?
Most tender perennials propagate easily from cuttings. There are two methods that are particularly useful: semi-ripe cuttings and softwood cuttings. You can also find specific advice on salvias, penstemons and pelargoniums on our other web pages. Most cuttings taken in spring will be flowering in their first summer. For best results grow Erysimum ‘Bowles’s’ Mauve’ in moist but well-drained soil, in sun or partial shade. Trim flower stalks as they fade.Pruning a Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’ (Wallflower) Cut back the previous year’s growth by approximately one-third to one-half, taking care not to cut into old wood which may not resprout.Growing & using Bowles Mauve One of the perennial wallflowers, Bowle’s Mauve blooms for five or six weeks in early spring.You can raise new plants from cuttings in spring to early summer. Pull off side shoots with a small ‘heel’ and, ideally, choose non-flowering shoots, though this is rather difficult with Erysimum ‘Bowle’s Mauve’!