What is a Dianthus?
Dianthus is a genus of flowering plants that includes annual, biennial, and perennial species. They are also known by names like pinks, sweet williams, carnations and gillyflowers. These low-maintenance flowers feature small but very fragrant blooms in shades of reds, whites and pinks.
Why Prune Dianthus?
Pruning dianthus can help the plants maintain their shape as well as promote new growth. In addition to shaping up the plant’s appearance it can reduce the amount of maintenance needed on them over time. Regularly pruning your dianthus will ensure they stay healthy and vibrant throughout their blooming season which typically runs from late spring through early fall depending on where you live.
When to Prune Dianthus
The best time for pruning dianthus is after its bloom period has ended or just before it begins in the late winter or early spring months depending on your climate zone. This ensures all old foliage has died off before starting any cutting back operations so that none of the flower heads get damaged during this process. It also allows new buds ample time to form ahead of next year’s blooming season so there will be plenty of colorful flowers once again come summertime!
The first step when pruning dianthus should be removing any dead leaves or stems with hand clippers being careful not to cut too close to living tissue since this could cause further damage later down the line if left unchecked now (this goes for both leafy sections as well as woody areas). Once done snipping away at these dead bits then move onto shaping – either shearing off some height where necessary (leaving no more than an inch or two) or using thinning techniques around edges/borders etcetera until desired look achieved – always keeping aesthetics top priority when doing so! Finally finish up job by lightly sprinkling fertilizer near base/roots area before covering soil back over roots again with mulch layer topping everything off nicely afterwards too if available nearby (but don’t forget about watering routine afterwards either!).