Key Takeaways
Coneflowers are pruned at specific times throughout the year to avoid damaging developing flower buds.There are several different pruning techniques you can use, depending on your plant goals.Spring is the best time for major coneflower pruning, and fall pruning is only necessary if your coneflowers were plagued by pests or disease.
Coneflowers are no-nonsense native plants that grow well with minimal water, fertilizer, and attention. But if you want to reduce the risk of mildew and help your coneflowers grow and flower better year after year, it may be time to pick up your pruners and give your plants a little trim.
Whether you’re growing purple coneflowers, cut-leaf coneflowers, or another type of coneflower plant, here are the basics of how and when to cut back coneflowers for better blooms and a longer flowering season.
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When You Should Cut Back Coneflowers
Some plants need to be pruned at specific times of the year to avoid damaging developing flower buds, and you can use a few different pruning techniques to prune coneflowers, depending on your goals.
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Late Winter to Spring
As long as coneflowers didn’t experience major pest or disease problems during the growing season, it’s best to wait until late winter to early spring to remove old stems and leaves from your plants. Once the weather starts to warm—but before your plants begin to sprout leaves—prune the old, dead coneflower stems and leaves to about 2-to-3 inches above the soil line. This should freshen up the look of your plants and make your garden look a little tidier.
If you’d like to take your spring pruning even further, wait until your plants start to grow and then prune the stems back by about 1/3 in late May. This technique, known as the “Chelsea chop,” is optional but it can make coneflowers grow more compactly and flower more regularly.
Summer
Coneflowers generally don’t need pruning in summer, but deadheading old flowers when their petals dry out can prompt coneflowers to produce a second flush of blooms. Remember to sterilize your pruners or scissors when moving from plant to plant, and cut your stems back to a flower bud or leaf node to encourage coneflowers to branch out and flower again.
Fall
If your coneflowers were healthy throughout the year, you shouldn’t need to do any fall pruning. Leaving coneflowers intact through winter can provide nesting spots for pollinators, attract seed-eating birds like finches, and provide extra cold insulation for the coneflower plant’s roots. However, if your coneflowers were plagued by pests or disease, fall pruning may be in order.
To start, wait until coneflowers begin to die out with the cold, and then cut your plants down to about 2-to-3 inches above the soil line. When you’re done, gather up and destroy all the infested plant material you’ve removed by either burning it or throwing it in the trash.
Tip
Don’t compost diseased plant matter: Pests and disease can sometimes survive the composting process, infecting future plants you apply that compost to.
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Fall Care for Coneflowers
Pruning coneflowers in the fall is usually an optional process that’s only necessary if your plants experienced problems during the growing season. However, giving coneflowers a bit of attention in autumn can help your plants tolerate the cold better and enhance growth in the spring.
Although coneflowers usually don’t need fertilizer, adding a bit of compost beneath your plants in autumn can freshen up the soil and provide extra nutrients that coneflowers need to bloom. If you’re adding fertilizer, top off the soil with a 2-to-3 inch layer of natural mulch to insulate plant roots and reduce weedy problems in spring. But if you’re experiencing a dry autumn, you may also need to occasionally water coneflowers until the ground freezes over and is completely solid.
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4 Tips for Overwintering Coneflowers
Most types of coneflowers are winter hardy in zones 3 and up and they rarely need winter protection. However, coneflowers will grow better in spring if you keep these winter care tips in mind.
Add mulch. Apply 2-to-3 inches of mulch over the soil in the fall to insulate coneflower roots and keep weeds from intruding in spring. Make sure the mulch line is a few inches away from your coneflower stems so they don’t rot.Water wisely. Although coneflowers are drought-tolerant, you may need to water your plants until the ground freezes if rainfall is scarce.Skip the fertilizer. Native plants like coneflowers rarely need fertilizing and can develop floppy stems in overly rich soil. If your plants need a pick-me-up, use compost or aged manure instead.Watch for new growth. Once the cold weather sets in, coneflowers will lie dormant until spring. If you’re going to prune your plants, get all your pruning done before coneflowers produce fresh growth in the spring.
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