Content
- Cut the St. John's wort - is this necessary?
- Reasons that can speak for a cut
- A vigorous pruning - make in the spring
- How is the cut done?
- Cut off or leave old flowers for semen production
- Cut the herb to harvest it
- St. John's wort as a cut flower
- Tips
St. John's wort is harvested at flowering time
Cut the St. John's wort - is this necessary?
Many perennials and shrubs grow better and stay healthier if they regularly receive pruning. What about St. John's wort? Does this plant need a pruning and under what conditions is a cut useful?
Next article St. John's wort care: What is important?Reasons that can speak for a cut
You decide on the necessity! There are several reasons why it may be useful to cut St. John's wort or St. John's wort. Here are some of them listed:
A vigorous pruning - make in the spring
Basically, it is recommended to cut back St. John's wort vigorously every spring. The shoots from the previous year see in the spring unsightly and dried up. In order to make space for the newbies and promote the sprouting, the old shoots are removed. Even with evergreen and woody species, a cut is advisable, at least when some parts are frozen.
The ideal period for this pruning is between March and April. Of course you can also cut St. John's wort in late autumn. But then a winter protection is appropriate to protect the roots from moisture.
How is the cut done?
You should note this:
Cut off or leave old flowers for semen production
Also in midsummer, directly after the flowering period, St. John's wort can be cut. This cut is used to remove the withered flowers. As a result, fruits and seeds can not develop. This saves the St. John's wort force.
However, if you want to gain seeds, you must leave the flowers or at least a few of them on the plant. The seeds are ripe in autumn and can be sown either immediately or in the spring.
Cut the herb to harvest it
Who wants to cut the St. John's wort to harvest the plant parts, should do so in the best case during flowering. Either cut off only the flowers or the whole herb. Subsequently, the plant parts can be freshly used, for example for tea or dried.
St. John's wort as a cut flower
A well-groomed St. John's wort with strong flower stems is also good as a cut flower. For this purpose, the stems are best cut off to 10 cm above the ground. Even the berries can be cut in the fall as jewelry for arrangements.
Tips
Even if the St. John's wort is affected by diseases such as rust or St. John's Wort, it should be cut. All diseased parts are removed.