Bacopa is a fast-growing plant. Cutting it back will rejuvenate the plant and encourage new growth and flowers. This is especially true if you’ve planted your bacopa in a hanging basket. Trimming or cutting back dead stems from the underside of the plant also helps prevent disease.
While deadheading is not necessary, you can remove wilted flowers. Deadheading is mostly useful for younger plants, but bacopa has self-cleaning flowers and will continue to bloom profusely even without deadheading.
When to Prune Bacopa
Mid-summer is a good time to prune your bacopa if it is becoming woody in its lower branches or if it is producing fewer flowers. If you are in zone 9 or above, you can cut it back again in the fall to encourage spring growth.
In the spring, pinch off the tips of each growing stem when new growth is emerging. This encourages branching and will produce a fuller bacopa plant.
Why Prune Bacopa
Pruning your bacopa will encourage new growth, help prevent disease, and encourage more blooms. Bacopa can become leggy around the middle of the growing season. This plant can become overgrown quite quickly, so pruning can also help you keep your bacopa from taking over the garden.
How to Prune Bacopa
Step 1 - In the spring, pinch off the tips of each growing stem as growth begins for the season.
Step 2 - In mid-summer, cut your bacopa back by about a third if it gets too long.
Step 3 - Remove any dead branches on the underside of the plant.
Step 4 - Remove wilted flowers regularly during the growing season by trimming or pinching them out. Get rid of the entire flower just above the nearest set of leaves.
Step 5 - Prune again in the fall if you live in zone 9 or above.
Bacopa Pruning Tips
- Deadhead regularly to encourage the plant to flower throughout the season.
- Pinch tips of each stem in the spring to encourage lateral branching and fuller bacopa foliage.
- If you live in zone 9 or above, you can trim bacopa again in the fall.
- If you live in a cooler zone, take your cuttings inside in the fall and propagate them indoors during the winter.
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Author Chris Link - Published 12-16-2022 |