- 1). Begin pruning in the early spring, before the flowers bloom. Use your garden shears to cut off any branches that became dead or damaged over the winter. Cut off any branches that make the plant unsymmetrical. Cut back all selected branches to the ground, or to the base of the branch where it meets the main stem of the plant. Annual pruning will increase air circulation throughout the plant, preventing certain infectious diseases.
- 2). Clip off spent flower spikes with your garden shears throughout the summer blooming season. When the flowers begin to lose color and turn brown, cut them off above the next leaf. This deadheading keeps the plant from going to seed and encourages it to produce more flowers.
- 3). Divide the plant at the roots once it hits three years old, in the spring of its third year. Perennials can begin to become woody and produce less blooms as they age, and this root pruning will help the plant maintain its vigor. Use a garden shovel to dig up the root ball, and make sure you get up as many roots as possible.
- 4). Cut the root ball in half using the shovel, then carefully pull the plant apart. Use the garden shears to cut any branches in half, if necessary. Replant one half in the same spot by lowering it into the hole and firming the soil around the roots. You can give the other half away or plant it nearby.
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