Trimming & Plant Maintenance
At the height of summer, you might notice that some of your container plantings have started to look a bit unruly. Some more vigorous varieties might start bullying out their neighbors, dominating a container or trailing longer than you might consider tidy. It might be time for a small haircut!
While not strictly necessary, lightly pruning and deadheading* many annuals grown in containers can help keep them healthy through the remainder of the season and allow you to shape any leggy or overgrown plants. Read on for tips on how to keep your containers looking fresh.
*Deadheading: When we say ‘deadheading’, we aren’t referring to followers of a certain rock band. It’s gardener-ese for pinching off a plant’s dead blooms, allowing it to shift its energy to new growth.
• Pruning Tips •

HOW TO TRIM PORTULACA IN A PLANTER
Check out this step-by-step look at how to trim back overgrown plants in containers and keep them looking neat all season long. Use the left and right arrows to browse through the slideshow.
In mid-summer, portulaca can be pruned by up to half their size if they have grown leggy. Light fertilization after pruning will help keep them healthy and looking good through the remainder of the season. Portulaca is self-cleaning and does not need to be deadheaded.
VIDEO: HOW TO TRIM PLANTS TO ENCOURAGE FURTHER GROWTH
It might seem contradictory, but trimming plants back in summer encourages them to grow healthy new leaves and more flowers that bloom longer. See how it’s done.
VIDEO: HOW TO TRIM A HANGING BASKET
Hanging basket plants actually love to get a haircut in midsummer. They’ll thank you with fuller growth and more blooms that last into the fall months.
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