Should I Chelsea chop Showy Goldenrod - Ask Extension
Hello - we have a back yard garden with masses of coneflower, Black eyed susan, etc. One area I believe I "blew" the location was putting 3 ...
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Should I Chelsea chop Showy Goldenrod #877468
Asked July 16, 2024, 12:50 PM EDT
Hello - we have a back yard garden with masses of coneflower, Black eyed susan, etc. One area I believe I "blew" the location was putting 3 Showy Goldenrod directly in front of 5 Denim N Lace Russian Sage. They are both 2 years old and the Showy Goldenrod just dominates the sightline so we can't even see the Sage from our house.
I see 2 options -
1) Move a few plants around so the Showy Goldenrod is in the very back - it would still get good sun there. This would be more work but perhaps the best long term option?
2) Do a Chelsea chop on the Showy Goldenrod every year. Perhaps this would get more overall flowering and also improve the sight line.
What do you think? Which way should I go? I know too late to do Chop this year.
I thought of this as we had some Purple Dome Aster drastically eaten down by rabbits that got inside the fence in June. But they came back strong and look like we'll get more flowers than ever there this year. Should we consider a Chelsea chop on those every year? My niece mentioned the existence of the Chelsea Chop.
Dakota County Minnesota
Expert Response
The height of a number of herbaceous perennials can be reduced and controlled in the manner you have in mind.
Whether to do it in the circumstances you have described is mostly a matter of personal preference. Bloom is delayed after cutting, so keep that in mind as you proceed.
Why not try cutting back for a year or two and evaluating the results? If the outcome's favorable, you avoid the labor and transplant shock associated with moving the plants.
Whether to do it in the circumstances you have described is mostly a matter of personal preference. Bloom is delayed after cutting, so keep that in mind as you proceed.
Why not try cutting back for a year or two and evaluating the results? If the outcome's favorable, you avoid the labor and transplant shock associated with moving the plants.