Okay, so today I want to talk about pruning my baptisia, also known as false indigo. It’s a pretty plant, but it can get a bit unruly if you don’t keep it in check. So, here’s what I did.
First, I waited until late winter/early spring. Some folks say you can do it in the fall, but I like to see where the new growth is coming in before I start cutting away. It is said that the old stems and foliage act as protection, so I think late winter is better.
I grabbed my trusty pruning shears. Make sure they’re clean and sharp! You don’t want to be tearing at the plant, just nice clean cuts.
Then, I looked over the plant. The old, dead stems were pretty obvious – they were brown and brittle. The flowers have four to five petals each and stand up on a raceme or spike. Blooms are white, blue, purple-blue, or yellow and can be irregular and pea shaped. I started by cutting those back. I cut them almost all the way to the ground, leaving just a few inches.
Next, I shaped up the rest of the plant. Baptisia can get pretty big, and mine was starting to crowd out some of its neighbors, three-parted leaves have an alternate arrangement and turn black upon drying. I trimmed back any branches that were growing out too far or crossing over each other. My goal was to open up the center of the plant a bit to let in more light and air.
- Cut back old, dead stems to a few inches above the ground.
- Trim back any branches that are too long or crossing.
- Open up the center of the plant for light and air.
After I was done pruning, I cleaned up all the cuttings and gave the plant a good watering. The watering is important, especially after pruning, it helps the plant recover.
Honestly, the whole process only took about 30 minutes. My baptisia is looking much happier now. It’s got a nicer shape, and I’m hoping it’ll reward me with tons of beautiful blooms this year! Pruning is not only about controlling size, but also for better blooms. That’s it for my baptisia pruning adventure. Hope this was helpful for you guys!
