On 03/03/2010 14:04, Chris Hogg wrote:
> We have several clumps of dierama pulcherrimum in the garden, ranging
> in colour from silvery pink to deepest purple (makes 'blackbird' look
> positively anaemic!). Inevitably they become a bit scruffy over the
> years, with old dead leaves interspersed with the younger green ones.
> As I can't be bothered to tease out the dead leaves individually, over
> the next few weeks I plan to cut all the foliage right back, but my
> wife says this will stop them flowering this year.
> Comments please..
I cut out dead foliage in autumn and again in spring, if necessary. In
late autumn, I cut back even the good green foliage by about 1/3 so that
wind rock over the winter period, when the soil is wetter, doesn't tear
the roots. The plants look tidier over winter and flowering doesn't
seem to be affected.
I confess it is a bit fiddly, but spreading the job over a few months
makes it easier.
--
Spider
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> in colour from silvery pink to deepest purple (makes 'blackbird' look
> positively anaemic!). Inevitably they become a bit scruffy over the
> years, with old dead leaves interspersed with the younger green ones.
> As I can't be bothered to tease out the dead leaves individually, over
> the next few weeks I plan to cut all the foliage right back, but my
> wife says this will stop them flowering this year.
> Comments please..