What Is The Chelsea Chop When To Chelsea Chop Prune

The Chelsea chop (so called because it is usually carried out at the end of May, coinciding with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show) is a pruning method by which you limit the size and control the flowering season of many herbaceous plants.

When should I do the Chelsea chop?
How late can you do the Chelsea chop?
Which plants should have the Chelsea chop?
How do you do the Chelsea chop?
Can you Chelsea chop hydrangeas?
Can you Chelsea chop Verbena bonariensis?
Can you Chelsea chop Shasta daisy?
Can you Chelsea chop goldenrod?
Can you Chelsea chop Salvia?
Do Geums need full sun?
How do you keep Geums blooming?

When should I do the Chelsea chop?

The Chelsea Chop is one way to stop the plant overshadowing its neighbours; chop it in May or June and it will flower on shorter, bushier stems. Later flowering perennials can be cut back in July, and for early flowering plants use the Chelsea Chop in May or June.

How late can you do the Chelsea chop?

Late flowering

Delaying flowering is very straightforward and often referred to as the 'Chelsea Chop' because late May (when the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is staged) or early June is the best time to carry it out.

Which plants should have the Chelsea chop?

11 plants to Chelsea chop

Phlox.
Achillea.
Campanulas.
Asters.
Echinacea.
Rudbeckias.
Sedums.
Penstemons.

How do you do the Chelsea chop?

The Chelsea chop for plants involves cutting back by half the stems of tall perennials that bloom later in summer. Simply get out your pruners, sterilize them in a mixture of denatured alcohol and water, and clip back every stem.

Can you Chelsea chop hydrangeas?

Decide how to cut

The quickest option is to simply cut back all the stems on the clump by one third, or by half for leggy plants. Alternatively, you could cut back the stems on one side, or cut back every other stem throughout the clump.

Can you Chelsea chop Verbena bonariensis?

Many people like to perform this in mid-May and put any staking into the ground that they are going to use at the same time. The important thing to remember is that this can actually be done a number of times. Take, for example, a Verbena bonariensis that you have lovingly raised from a seed.

Can you Chelsea chop Shasta daisy?

Cutting back the entire plant by 1/3 in late May or early June will typically delay flowering by 2 to 3 weeks. Good candidates for this technique include coreoposis, phlox paniculata, monarda, heliopsis, nepeta, Shasta daisies, asters and helenium.

Can you Chelsea chop goldenrod?

It works! Earlier this year I subjected a thick stand of Solidago canadensis - Goldenrod, that is - to what is called the Chelsea Chop. This just means chopping the tops off of selected flowering plants, to about half their height, in May.

Can you Chelsea chop Salvia?

Plants that respond well to the Chelsea Chop include salvias, campanulas, penstemons, phlox, echinacea, nepatas, sedums and asters. The Chelsea Chop is not suitable for flowers which flower only once during the growing season such as Peonies, Irises and Aquilegia.

Do Geums need full sun?

Most varieties thrive best in moist soil, so it's a good idea to incorporate organic matter when planting them, to help conserve moisture. A spot in partial shade is ideal, as the foliage can scorch in full sun. As for colour, geum flowers provide some of the richest hues available, from deep reds to custard yellows.

How do you keep Geums blooming?

Deadhead plants after flowering. To encourage strong geums with plenty of flowers, divide plants every three years. If you fail to divide plants they'll become woody and may die. To ensure the plants are long-lived, make a point of dividing them.