11 species to perform midsummer pruning on Chelsea chrysanthemums
Chopping Your Way to Garden Success: The Chelsea Technique
Get ready to master a fantastic gardening trick! The Chelsea chop, perfected around the time of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, helps control the size, shape, and flowering time of certain summer-flowering plants.
By giving your plants this trim, you'll also stimulate the production of even more flowers. After the chop, make sure you water them well and give them a feed.
Chelsea Chop: Step-by-Step
- Here's how to handle this magical gardening scissors dance:
- Learn who won big at RHS Chelsea 2026
Now, check out these 11 plants that are ready for the Chelsea chop:
Phlox
Cut back the phlox to boost the production of those heavenly scented blooms.
More to Peruse
Achillea
Pollinators adore Achillea, especially hoverflies. Explore these eye-catching cultivars: 'Fanal', 'Moonshine', and 'Summer Berries'.
Campanulas
Campanulas are famed for their delightful bell-shaped flowers, available in a spectrum of radiant blues and purples. Cut back these beauties to encourage additional blooms.
Asters
Asters are a valuable source of nectar for flying insects. They respond favorably to the Chelsea chop. Don't forget Aster macrophyllus and Symphyotrichum laeve (formerly Aster laevis).
Echinacea
This plant is a sanctuary for wildlife. By hacking back echinaceas, you'll motivate even more blossoms to bloom. Keep a watchful eye out for slugs and snails on young plants.
Rudbeckias
Many rudbeckias can grow so towering that they might succumb to windy weather. The Chelsea chop will help keep them in check.
Sedums
Sedums can become lengthy and messy. Give them the Chelsea chop to encourage a neater, more compact shape, resulting in more flowers.
Penstemons
Bumblebees adore penstemons and their large, tubular flowers. Check out some of the numerous captivating cultivars to grow, such as 'Sour Grapes' and 'Bredon'.
Heleniums
In the right location, heleniums will swiftly grow skyward and often need staking. Cut them back to regulate their flowering height. Learn how to plant heleniums in August.
Nepeta
By trimming back Nepeta, also known as catmint, you'll encourage a profusion of later blooms, providing a later source of nectar and pollen for bees.
Helianthus
Not all sunflowers require a trim. Opt for perennial sunflowers, like vibrant cultivars such as 'Lemon Queen', instead of large, annual Helianthus.
Fun Fact:Did you know that the Chelsea Chop was inspired by a gardening mishap that created a beautiful fortuitous outcome at the Chelsea Flower Show? Yes, it's true! Read more about this enchanting tale on our blog.
Why Chelsea Chop Your Plants?
The Chelsea Chop aids gardens in several ways:
- Avoiding Legginess: Reducing the stems stops plants from getting too long and wobbly, making them more resistant to lodging (falling over) in the wind.
- Prolonging Flowering: It delays the blooming of some plants, leading to a more diverse display of flowers throughout the summer.
- Promoting Bushy Growth: By lessening the height of the plant, the Chelsea Chop encourages it to produce more lateral growth, making it denser and fuller. This, in turn, means even more flowers later in the season.
- Performing the Chelsea chop on your phlox, penstemons, nepeta, and heleniums will not only enhance their blooms but also stimulate a profusion of later blooms, providing a longer source of nectar and pollen for bees in your lifestyle and home-and-garden environment.
- To maintain a neat and compact appearance in your garden, consider using the Chelsea chop on your campanulas, rudbeckias, and sedums, encouraging healthier, bushier growth and more flowers throughout the summer season.
