Caryopteris plant care: pruning, fertilising & watering
The caryopteris or blue beard flower is not only a real eye-catcher, but also particularly easy to care for. It requires little more than pruning in the spring.
Depending on the soil and weather, caryopteris also needs occasional water and fertiliser, yet it is very undemanding. Diseases and pests are also not a problem. We show what is important in the care of caryopteris.
Content
Care caryopteris: cutting
To enjoy the flowers every year, it is important to cut the beard flower. This is best done in the spring, around the end of March. Beard flower forms its flowers only on the shoots that have also grown in the same year. So, it has annual shoots. By pruning the beard flower sprouts new, forming many annual shoots on which flowers appear. Use sharp scissors to avoid crushing the branches. Also, avoid frosty and rainy days when cutting back the beard flower. All shoots are shortened to about 20cm.
Tip: The later the cut, the later the beard flower blooms. So, the flowering time is shifted with pruning. If the bluebeard is cut too late, it may not bloom at all, because the formation of flower heads takes time.
During the flowering period, you can remove wilted flowers. Here then there is a possibility of renewed flowering. As it approaches fall, you can clip off any wilted blossoms. Thus, no fruits are formed and beard flower can save energy for the winter and spring. If necessary, such late pruning may even because post-blooming. However, this also prevents self-seeding and reproduction.
Fertilising caryopteris
Although the caryopteris copes with a fairly low nutrient supply, you should still fertilise it, and after pruning and before new shoots. In this way it gets enough energy to form numerous flowers. Especially potted plants need a starting fertilisation at this time. For the Bluebeard, it is best to use a rose fertiliser such as our Plantura Rose Food. This is a slow-release fertiliser in which the nutrients are gradually made available in the soil over a period of three months. It is simply sprinkled on the ground, lightly incorporated and watered. Bluebeards in the bed after pruning can alternatively receive a starting fertiliser from compost.
- For beautifully flowering roses in pots & flower beds
- Prevents common rose diseases & ensures healthy growth
- Long-lasting fertiliser that is free from animal products - child & pet friendly
Water correctly
The water requirement of the bluebeard is also rather low. Especially waterlogging it does not tolerate at all, so it is better to water less than too much. When the substrate has dried to a depth of a few centimetres on the surface, you can water the beard flower again. Potted plants usually need water more frequently than bedding plants.
If caryopteris does not bloom: causes and measures
The caryopteris does not bloom and you do not know what could be the reason? Pruning is often the because:
- Late pruning: With pruning also shifts the flowering. If you have set the shears in late spring or early summer, the bluebeard must first resprout, and the flower will appear late or not at all. So pruning should not be done in the summer at all, but always in the spring.
- No pruning:If you have not pruned the beard flower back for several years, it has mainly old wood. However, flowers are not formed on them. Cut back the beard flower in the spring to 20 cm, and flowers should appear again in the summer.
- Poor growing conditions: If the bluebeard is too wet or too shady, this can also be the reason for a failure to bloom. Therefore, be sure to find the beard flower a location that meets its requirements.
Common diseases and pests of bluebeard
Bluebeards are only seldom affected by diseases and pests. Excessive watering causes waterlogging, which can lead to root rot in the bluebeard. Otherwise, the beard flower, like many other labiates, contains essential oils that can keep pests away.
Bluebeards are often planted together with roses, as they complement each other perfectly, especially in colour. We give an overview of the most beautiful species of roses.
