Gardening

hibbing

(10,399 posts) Tue Sep 12, 2023, 10:31 AM Sep 2023

Baptisia

So I had a large baptisia in front and got some hardscaping done. I got a new retaining wall and front steps. The retaining wall and two beds were built over the baptisia. I thought it was gone, but amazingly enough, the thing grew up from the bed in the retaining wall and has grown to be quite large. The problem is, it kind of messes up the look of my other plants in the bed.

After all that, my question is, how early do you think I could prune the baptisia down so the bed does not look so weird, but would still come back next year?

Peace

3 replies

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Baptisia (Original Post) hibbing Sep 2023 OP

Found 2 articles of interest steventh Sep 2023 #1

Do not worry about the "look" and you will be rewarded with awesome flowers Botany Sep 2023 #2

whew NJCher Oct 2023 #3

steventh

(2,156 posts)

1. Found 2 articles of interest

Reply to hibbing (Original post)

Tue Sep 12, 2023, 10:53 AM

Sep 2023

This article suggests pruning in winter (and other interesting pruning Baptisia info)

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/baptisia/cutting-back-baptisia.htm

This article says Baptisia root can be 12 feet deep. Wow! No wonder yours came back through hardscape features.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/baptisia/growing-baptisia-plants.htm

Botany

(72,347 posts)

2. Do not worry about the "look" and you will be rewarded with awesome flowers

Reply to hibbing (Original post)

Sun Sep 24, 2023, 07:49 AM

Sep 2023

If possible leave it standing until next late March or early April and then after 4 or 5 days
> 55 degrees F cut it back to about 3" above the ground. After it is done blooming cut it
back to ground level and feed it with a cup or 2 of espoma plant tone. Although this will
remove the seed pods that are native critters like.

NJCher

(37,681 posts)

3. whew

Reply to hibbing (Original post)

Fri Oct 20, 2023, 12:40 AM

Oct 2023

you just convinced me I did the right thing by not transplanting baptisia.

A friend gave me some seeds and I planted them. They came up and I was going to transplant them, but first I read up on it a little. That's what made me decide to not go further with this plant.

I do like purple/blue flowers, but I'm already dealing with some headstrong plants--like wisteria, for example.

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