Worldwide Beekeeping

Sustainable Living => Gardening => Topic started by: Jen on July 18, 2015, 02:57:06 pm

Title: Pruning Bee Balm
Post by: Jen on July 18, 2015, 02:57:06 pm

Does anyone know how to prune back Bee Balm? I can get more blooms before winter if I dead head the blooms. However, you can see in the picture that there are three branches at the top of the stem... do I cut the blooms above or below that three branch junction?

(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs14.postimg.cc%2Fz0fhk8pwt%2FDSCF2706.jpg&hash=a7df38873c546480a843f6bd43fb9e9489a35dff) (http://postimg.cc/image/z0fhk8pwt/)

(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs14.postimg.cc%2F6q8gucx7x%2FDSCF2708.jpg&hash=5766c20bedb9f37460fb65cd43dc35a90c05dfbb) (http://postimg.cc/image/6q8gucx7x/)

Title: Re: Pruning Bee Balm
Post by: efmesch on July 18, 2015, 04:11:31 pm

If I recall my plant physiology correctly, hormones produced in the pollinated flower flow down the stems and suppress the development of latereral buds found at the bases of lower leaves.  If I am not incorrrect, it means that the higher you prune the plant, the more potential flowers you will see developing, since you have more leaf buds that can produce flowers. At the same time, I would encourage removing the flowers as soon as you can after they have died.  This way, any bud-restricting hormone produced would be minimal.

Title: Re: Pruning Bee Balm
Post by: Jen on July 18, 2015, 04:16:28 pm

Hi Ef... scratching head, can you dumb that down for me a little bit please   ???

   In the second pic, it's the three way junction that I don't know how to trim... should I trim above the three way junction or below it?

Title: Re: Pruning Bee Balm
Post by: efmesch on July 18, 2015, 04:27:08 pm

Above the three-way junction, just below each flower, leaving as many leaves as possible on the plant.

Title: Re: Pruning Bee Balm
Post by: Jen on July 18, 2015, 05:01:22 pm

Thanks Ef! Knew I could count on you  ;)