oh no Laura! I pruned my pink ones a couple of weeks ago! i’m not sure if they will recover and flower this spring :( wish i had seen this video before i did that.
I do use electric shears on my candy tuft because I have a lot of them. I shear mine back mid summer and by the following spring my flower borders are dazzling white…. I also have muscari , daffodils and tulips throughout. They marry together beautifully.
I came to UA-cam looking for answers and I found your video. I ordered 4 candytuft plants online and planted them around my mailbox when they arrived. They looked a little rough when they arrived. I couldn't tell if the blooms were just starting or just finishing. They haven't improved much in the few weeks since planting. I'm wondering if I should have cut them back before planting so energy could go to the root development. And I'm wondering if I should still do it now? Do you have any advice on how to treat these new plants? Thank you!!
Hi Kristy -- first of all, my apologies for being so late in responding to your question. Secondly -- I hope I can still help. How do they look today? And how did they fare over the Summer season? Also -- what zone are you in? 🤍🌱
Is there anything you take the electric trimmer to? I have a lot of older evergreens plus the dappled willow and burning bushes. I’d be there for hours.
🤣 Fair question! If I had hedges that needed to be shaped, I’d probably use electric hedge shears. I used to use them but didn’t like the look. I felt like they took away the “natural” look of the shrubs and made them too perfect, if that makes sense. I also see stems occasionally pruned with jagged cuts, and then I need to go back through to hand prune those for a clean cut. Using the hand shears is actually pretty quick, and not much messier than electric trimmers! 😀 I think it depends on the look one is going for too. More formal looks are easier to achieve with electricity. Of course, this is just my opinion! 🙃🙂
Yes you can prune them back. I would let them go to seed after they flower, and let that seed drop. This way, you'll have new plants that will also sprout up and grow, while you're waiting for the pruned-back plants to recover. I hope this helps!
hi Laura, i have candytuft too! and i also find that pruning candytuft is very rewarding because after the bloom, it looks so unruly until trimmed back. thanks for the tip on fertilizing them after pruning, didn't know to do that, will to it now. great video!
i am looking for advice, as my candytuft is about 10 years old. i havent seen any bloom on it for 2 or 3 years. the plant looks pretty sparse compared to yours. i wonder if it isnt getting enough light, as its in a part shade location. it gets about 4 hours of sun per day on the edge of a raised bed. i really wanted it to spill over the wall. i am on the edge of zone 5/6, if that makes a difference. thanks.
Hi Colin, that's very surprising that it stopped blooming for you a few years ago. I'm assuming prior to that it was nice a full? Does it look any better during the cooler seasons of Fall, and is it a nice deep evergreen color in Winter? They do appreciate water, and it sounds like some fertilizer will help as well -- and I'm not saying you're neglecting them! 🙂 I've had some Candytuft planted in other areas that just didn't take, even after a few years -- but I can't explain why yours would decide to take a break from blooming after several years. 🤔 You may be right that it needs more sun each day. Candytuft do best in full sun, and since you're in zone 5/6, I think they can handle it. (For example, mine in full sun in zone 7 need a lot of water during the Summer.) Can you "trim back" the shade to provide more sun? Perhaps beef up the nutrients in the soil -- sometimes if there's too much nitrogen in the soil -- say from lawn fertilizer -- it can result in more green on plants rather than flowers -- but that does not sound like what you're experiencing. You can beef up the soil by applying a general slow-release organic fertilizer, or composted cow manure worked into the upper layer of the soil. A mulch covering can also help retain moisture a bit more too. If you're looking for a Spring-blooming flowering perennial that can handle the shady area -- and spill over the edge of your raised bed -- you could try Creeping Phlox, which would love just four hours of sun each day. I hope this helps? Let me know your thoughts to my questions above.
Finally found a video on tuft care thank you I'm in ca zone 9-10 these plants are crazy in our short cold season of Jan Feb I'm hoping for a long season blooming
Hi Laura. I just planted 3 Candytuft Iberis “Whistler White”. Great to know these can’t be split & pruned right after blooms. Your videos are so valuable. Thank you! 🙏🏼 ❤
Hooray for the new Candytuft plants! I'm very happy for you, and can't wait to hear how you enjoy them as they mature. Next year's show should be wonderful in the Spring!
I'm so glad -- this is a great evergreen perennial! Expect it to take at least a year to get settled, so it may need more water this year than in future years while the roots get established. I hope you enjoy it for years to come!
Without knowing more details such as where are you located, how young/old are the plants, and how have they been doing previously, it is hard to advise. Usually during the Winter season, Candytuft should be nice and evergreen, so my best guess is they dried out and need water. (Sometimes if there's not enough Winter snow or rain, the Winter wind can easily dry out plants. Water them, but don't drown them... start to give them water a little bit at a time and keep watering. Even if the top growth is dying, hopefully the roots are still living and will sprout up new growth from the ground. You're in luck because the video I'm currently working on is all about Candytuft, so stay tuned as it should be out later this week!
@@GardenSanity Thank you for your reply. I am in the NE of England. My 2 large clumps I have had over 10 yrs with no bother. 2 new plants I put in 2 yrs ago. My garden gets plenty of rain. They are all browning and dying together.I have no idea why.
Yes you can! They make a wonderful edger in containers -- especially containers where you're not disturbing the plants periodicallly, such as container with perennials or a shrub in it. 👍
Love my Candytuft! It needs little but gives so much
That is the best description of Candytuft! Thank you for that! 😀 🤍
oh no Laura! I pruned my pink ones a couple of weeks ago! i’m not sure if they will recover and flower this spring :( wish i had seen this video before i did that.
I do use electric shears on my candy tuft because I have a lot of them. I shear mine back mid summer and by the following spring my flower borders are dazzling white…. I also have muscari , daffodils and tulips throughout. They marry together beautifully.
I came to UA-cam looking for answers and I found your video. I ordered 4 candytuft plants online and planted them around my mailbox when they arrived. They looked a little rough when they arrived. I couldn't tell if the blooms were just starting or just finishing. They haven't improved much in the few weeks since planting. I'm wondering if I should have cut them back before planting so energy could go to the root development. And I'm wondering if I should still do it now? Do you have any advice on how to treat these new plants? Thank you!!
Hi Kristy -- first of all, my apologies for being so late in responding to your question. Secondly -- I hope I can still help. How do they look today? And how did they fare over the Summer season? Also -- what zone are you in? 🤍🌱
Is there anything you take the electric trimmer to? I have a lot of older evergreens plus the dappled willow and burning bushes. I’d be there for hours.
🤣 Fair question! If I had hedges that needed to be shaped, I’d probably use electric hedge shears. I used to use them but didn’t like the look. I felt like they took away the “natural” look of the shrubs and made them too perfect, if that makes sense. I also see stems occasionally pruned with jagged cuts, and then I need to go back through to hand prune those for a clean cut. Using the hand shears is actually pretty quick, and not much messier than electric trimmers! 😀 I think it depends on the look one is going for too. More formal looks are easier to achieve with electricity. Of course, this is just my opinion! 🙃🙂
I have this plant and did not prune many years. Now they have long woody stems. Can prune to the wooden part to make the plant smaller?
Yes you can prune them back. I would let them go to seed after they flower, and let that seed drop. This way, you'll have new plants that will also sprout up and grow, while you're waiting for the pruned-back plants to recover. I hope this helps!
Thank you for the nice video! You said not to use electric trimmer. Why not?
I actually liked the seedheads.
hi Laura, i have candytuft too! and i also find that pruning candytuft is very rewarding because after the bloom, it looks so unruly until trimmed back. thanks for the tip on fertilizing them after pruning, didn't know to do that, will to it now. great video!
Love your word for Candytuft after blooming: unruly! That describes it perfectly. 👍😀
i am looking for advice, as my candytuft is about 10 years old. i havent seen any bloom on it for 2 or 3 years. the plant looks pretty sparse compared to yours. i wonder if it isnt getting enough light, as its in a part shade location. it gets about 4 hours of sun per day on the edge of a raised bed. i really wanted it to spill over the wall. i am on the edge of zone 5/6, if that makes a difference. thanks.
Hi Colin, that's very surprising that it stopped blooming for you a few years ago. I'm assuming prior to that it was nice a full? Does it look any better during the cooler seasons of Fall, and is it a nice deep evergreen color in Winter? They do appreciate water, and it sounds like some fertilizer will help as well -- and I'm not saying you're neglecting them! 🙂 I've had some Candytuft planted in other areas that just didn't take, even after a few years -- but I can't explain why yours would decide to take a break from blooming after several years. 🤔
You may be right that it needs more sun each day. Candytuft do best in full sun, and since you're in zone 5/6, I think they can handle it. (For example, mine in full sun in zone 7 need a lot of water during the Summer.) Can you "trim back" the shade to provide more sun? Perhaps beef up the nutrients in the soil -- sometimes if there's too much nitrogen in the soil -- say from lawn fertilizer -- it can result in more green on plants rather than flowers -- but that does not sound like what you're experiencing. You can beef up the soil by applying a general slow-release organic fertilizer, or composted cow manure worked into the upper layer of the soil. A mulch covering can also help retain moisture a bit more too.
If you're looking for a Spring-blooming flowering perennial that can handle the shady area -- and spill over the edge of your raised bed -- you could try Creeping Phlox, which would love just four hours of sun each day. I hope this helps? Let me know your thoughts to my questions above.
Finally found a video on tuft care thank you
I'm in ca zone 9-10 these plants are crazy in our short cold season of Jan Feb I'm hoping for a long season blooming
I wonder if the pieces that are trimmed will root in water to make new babies!?
Now I know what to do thanks to you as always. Thank you Laura! 🌷🌷🌷
My pleasure Chris! Yet another pruning chore to check off the list! ✔️👍😀
@@GardenSanity love it!!!
Hi Laura. I just planted 3 Candytuft Iberis “Whistler White”. Great to know these can’t be split & pruned right after blooms. Your videos are so valuable. Thank you! 🙏🏼 ❤
Hooray for the new Candytuft plants! I'm very happy for you, and can't wait to hear how you enjoy them as they mature. Next year's show should be wonderful in the Spring!
Thank you ..... I have decided to buy this plant because of your video!
I'm so glad -- this is a great evergreen perennial! Expect it to take at least a year to get settled, so it may need more water this year than in future years while the roots get established. I hope you enjoy it for years to come!
My little gem plants are browning and dying. Help.
Without knowing more details such as where are you located, how young/old are the plants, and how have they been doing previously, it is hard to advise. Usually during the Winter season, Candytuft should be nice and evergreen, so my best guess is they dried out and need water. (Sometimes if there's not enough Winter snow or rain, the Winter wind can easily dry out plants. Water them, but don't drown them... start to give them water a little bit at a time and keep watering. Even if the top growth is dying, hopefully the roots are still living and will sprout up new growth from the ground. You're in luck because the video I'm currently working on is all about Candytuft, so stay tuned as it should be out later this week!
@@GardenSanity Thank you for your reply. I am in the NE of England. My 2 large clumps I have had over 10 yrs with no bother. 2 new plants I put in 2 yrs ago. My garden gets plenty of rain. They are all browning and dying together.I have no idea why.
Can I put these in large flower pots?
Yes you can! They make a wonderful edger in containers -- especially containers where you're not disturbing the plants periodicallly, such as container with perennials or a shrub in it. 👍
so gorgeous! I just planted some in my side yard as well.. excited to see how they do! thank you for showing how to prune them!
Thanks Priti! 😊 I think you’ll love them not only in flower but also love their dependable evergreen color in Winter too! ❤️🌞
Great video!
Thank you Elijah!