Latest news with #ChelseaChop
Scottish Sun
13 hours ago
- Climate
- Scottish Sun
I'm a royal gardener, important task will help your plants adapt to the heat and when it's time for the ‘Chelsea chop'
While it is important to water plants in hot weather, it is also important to know when GREEN DAYS I'm a royal gardener, important task will help your plants adapt to the heat and when it's time for the 'Chelsea chop' IT'S not just us humans that need to adapt to the warmer weather, the plants in your garden will need to adjust too. With temperatures soaring across the UK this weekend, former royal gardener Jack Stooks has opened up to Genting Casino about the hot weather jobs that could save your plot. 1 Jack Stooks who previously worked for the King shares his top tips Credit: Getty Jack - who previously worked for King Charles at Highgrove for over two decades - also shares insight into the 'Chelsea Chop' method, and why it's important for maintaining plants. Read on to discover how to get your garden summer-ready… Plant feeding In June, much of the focus will be on staking plants and keeping them well watered. You might also start feeding your pot plants around this time, as you'll likely notice things beginning to grow in the pots. When to water As we've had fairly dry weather in recent weeks, it's important to water your garden either in the mornings or evenings. The plants aren't yet at the stage where you're supporting them with stakes - for example, all the roses in my garden are still quite low - so they may struggle in the heat. I'd avoid overwatering, as the goal is to help the plants adapt to having less water. That said, you still need to water them, otherwise they'll just die. The main priority is making sure everything is well watered. The 'Chelsea Chop' Around this time of year is normally what gardeners refer to as the Chelsea Chop, which is when certain herbaceous plants get a little bit big and you have to chop them down. This helps them come back a lot bushier and helps to control the size of the plant, shape, and flowering time. 6 ways to get rid of slugs and snails In weather like this, it's often not necessary, as the plants haven't grown as much - but it an important task to be aware of.
The Irish Sun
13 hours ago
- Climate
- The Irish Sun
I'm a royal gardener, important task will help your plants adapt to the heat and when it's time for the ‘Chelsea chop'
IT'S not just us humans that need to adapt to the warmer weather, the plants in your garden will need to adjust too. With temperatures soaring across the UK this weekend, former royal gardener Jack Stooks has opened up to Advertisement 1 Jack Stooks who previously worked for the King shares his top tips Credit: Getty Jack - who previously worked for King Charles at Highgrove for over two decades - also shares insight into the 'Chelsea Chop' method, and why it's important for maintaining plants. Read on to discover how to get your garden summer-ready… Plant feeding In June, much of the focus will be on staking plants and keeping them well watered. You might also start feeding your pot plants around this time, as you'll likely notice things beginning to grow in the pots. Advertisement Read More on Gardening When to water As we've had fairly dry weather in recent weeks, it's important to water your garden either in the mornings or evenings. The plants aren't yet at the stage where you're supporting them with stakes - for example, all the roses in my garden are still quite low - so they may struggle in the heat. I'd avoid overwatering, as the goal is to help the plants adapt to having less water. That said, you still need to water them, otherwise they'll just die. The main priority is making sure everything is well watered. Advertisement Most read in Fabulous Exclusive The 'Chelsea Chop' Around this time of year is normally what gardeners refer to as the Chelsea Chop, which is when certain herbaceous plants get a little bit big and you have to chop them down. This helps them come back a lot bushier and helps to control the size of the plant, shape, and flowering time. 6 ways to get rid of slugs and snails In weather like this, it's often not necessary, as the plants haven't grown as much - but it an important task to be aware of. Gardening mistakes that could get you fined Gardening experts over at Toolstation have revealed the garden laws you need to be aware of not breaking. While some of these laws could land you with a fine of up to £20,000 in extreme cases, a friendly chat with your neighbours can usually resolve any issues. Tree removal and pruning : If you have a tree in your garden you want to get rid of you better think twice and do your research. The gardening experts reveal: 'If one neighbour wishes to remove or heavily prune a tree that the other neighbour values, disputes can arise over the impact on the view, shade, or privacy. " While it might cause a row, if it is in your property boundary it is ultimately your choice, unless it has a Tree Protection Order on it. 'But, some trees may be protected by a Tree Protection Order which makes it an offence to uproot, top or destroy them, the experts warn. The maximum fine for breaking this law is £20,000, so make sure you double check if it does have a TPO. You can find out by contacting your local council for a map that shows this information. Alternatively, you can ask to speak with your local tree officer. Property boundaries and fences : One of the main causes of neighbours falling out is through arguing over property boundaries and fencing. To avoid this situation, the gardening pros recommend checking the deeds of your property to determine the correct boundaries 'Most of the time, it's easy to determine who owns the fence as the fence posts will usually be on the owners side," they add. 'Additionally, the height of fences or hedges can cause disputes between neighbours if one party feels the height has exceeded the two metre guidance. "Hedges and fences should be no more than two metres high, and you could be asked by the council to take them down if a neighbour complains about the height. "Luckily, standard fence sizes are less than two metres tall so you shouldn't have a problem.' Garden structures and additions : A pergola is the perfect addition to a garden if you want somewhere to relax in the shade. But if it obstructs your neighbour's view or violates local building regulations it could cause a dispute, as can sheds and other garden structures. 'If you're not sure, have a chat with your neighbours to let them know what you're planning and, if there's an issue, get in touch with your local council who can give you more guidance," advise the gardening experts. Overhanging branches and plants : 'When branches, vines, or roots from one neighbour's tree or plant extend into the neighbouring property, it can lead to disagreements over potential damage to structures, blocked views, or the burden of maintenance," reveal the pros. However, it's important to note you can only trim overhanging branches up to the boundary of your property otherwise, it could be seen as trespassing. You can climb into the tree to carry out the work if needed, but only on your property and make sure to stay on your side of the fence if you don't have permission to enter your neighbours garden.
Boston Globe
27-05-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Chelsea Chop is the catchy new name for a classic gardening technique
And that's a good thing because it popularizes a useful technique. What's involved in the chop The method involves pruning certain perennials — those with clumping roots, like coneflower (Echinacea), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), goldenrod (Solidago), sneezeweed (Helenium), Salvia and yarrow (Achillea) — by cutting each stem back by one-third to one-half its height in spring. Cuts should be made on the diagonal, just above a leaf node. Related : Advertisement The 'chop' forces plants to produce bushier growth, resulting in sturdier, tighter and fuller plants that aren't as likely to grow leggy, require staking or flop over by the end of the season. It also delays blooming, which can benefit the late-summer garden. You might get creative and prune only alternate stems so that some bloom earlier and others later — or prune only half of your plants — to extend the blooming season. Do not attempt this with one-time bloomers, single-stemmed plants or those with woody stems; the amputations would be homicidal to the current season's flowers. Advertisement This image provided by Jessica Damiano shows the pruning of the top third of a chrysanthemum plant. Three such carefully timed prunings each year will result in fuller, sturdier plants. Jessica Damiano/Associated Press When should you chop? Gardeners should consider their climate and prune when their plants have grown to half their expected seasonal height, whenever that may be. (The Chelsea Chop is done at different times in different places, depending on plant emergence and growth.) A variation for late-summer and fall bloomers To take things a step further, some late-summer and fall bloomers, like Joe Pye weed, chrysanthemum and aster, would benefit from three annual chops. Related : In my zone 7, suburban New York garden, that means cutting them back by one-third each in the beginning of June, middle of June and middle of July. Customize the schedule for your garden by shifting one or two weeks earlier per warmer zone and later per cooler zone, taking the season's growth and size of your plants into account. Make the first cuts when plants reach half their expected size, the second two weeks later and the third about a month after that. I'd like this fall-plant pruning tip to catch on as well as the Chelsea Chop has. Maybe I should call it the Damiano Downsize and see what happens. Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter.
The Independent
27-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
What is the Chelsea Chop? And how it's vital for your plants' growth
The 'Chelsea Chop', a pruning method named after the Royal Horticultural Society 's Chelsea Flower Show, has gained traction on social media. The technique, which involves cutting back certain perennials in late May or early June, encourages bushier growth and delayed flowering. This results in sturdier plants and a prolonged display of blooms. While the name may be relatively recent, with references dating back to the early 2000s, the practice itself is not new. Gardeners have long employed similar methods to manage plant growth and flowering times. The Chelsea Chop simply provides a catchy name for a well-established technique, making it more accessible and popular among gardeners. What's involved in the Chelsea Chop? The method involves pruning certain perennials — those with clumping roots, like coneflower (Echinacea), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), goldenrod (Solidago), sneezeweed (Helenium), Salvia and yarrow (Achillea) -- by cutting each stem back by one-third to one-half its height in spring. Cuts should be made on the diagonal, just above a leaf node. The 'chop' forces plants to produce bushier growth, resulting in sturdier, tighter and fuller plants that aren't as likely to grow leggy, require staking or flop over by the end of the season. It also delays blooming, which can benefit the late-summer garden. You might get creative and prune only alternate stems so that some bloom earlier and others later — or prune only half of your plants — to extend the blooming season. Do not attempt this with one-time bloomers, single-stemmed plants or those with woody stems; the amputations would be homicidal to the current season's flowers. When should you chop? Gardeners should consider their climate and prune when their plants have grown to half their expected seasonal height, whenever that may be. (The Chelsea Chop is done at different times in different places, depending on plant emergence and growth.) A variation for late-summer and fall bloomers To take things a step further, some late-summer and fall bloomers, like Joe Pye weed, chrysanthemum and aster, would benefit from three annual chops. In my zone 7, suburban New York garden, that means cutting them back by one-third each in the beginning of June, middle of June and middle of July. Customise the schedule for your garden by shifting one or two weeks earlier per warmer zone and later per cooler zone, taking the season's growth and size of your plants into account. Make the first cuts when plants reach half their expected size, the second two weeks later and the third about a month after that. I'd like this fall-plant pruning tip to catch on as well as the Chelsea Chop has. Maybe I should call it the Damiano Downsize and see what happens.
Washington Post
27-05-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Chelsea Chop is the catchy new name for a classic gardening technique
What's the deal with the Chelsea Chop? Are you gardeners familiar with it? After hearing about it recently, I did a bit of research. The earliest reference I could find dates back to the early 2000s, so it might appear I'm late to the party, but I'm not — and you might not be, either.
