Chelsea Chop – Pruning perennials for later, richer flowering

Do you want more flowers, more compact plants and a longer flowering season? With the Chelsea Chop you can breathe new life into your perennial borders – with very little effort. Read on to find out how!

What is the Chelsea Chop?

The Chelsea Chop is a targeted pruning of perennials that takes place around the time of the famous Chelsea Flower Show in London – in late May and early June. Hence the name. This so-called *pre-flowering* pruning encourages your perennials to grow more bushy and delays the flowering period. Perfect if you want to keep your border in bloom for longer.

When is the best time to do a Chelsea Chop?

The ideal time is around the last week of May. It is important that the perennials are well established and about 20 to 40 centimetres tall. Be careful not to prune too late, as this will not have the desired effect.

Three ways to cut: How the Chelsea Chop works

The Chelsea Chop is not a stubborn pruning, it is a gardening decision. You have several options – choose the one that suits your border and your flowering dreams:

Shorten all shoots

Shorten all the shoots on a plant by about a third to a half. The result: the plant will be more compact, branch better and flower a little later – but just as profusely.

Suitable for you if:

• you have rather tall perennials that tend to fall over
• you prefer later flowering
• you want evenly compact plants

🌿 Prune only some of the shoots

Leave some shoots and prune only some of them. This will create staggered flowering – the plant will not flower all at once, but in waves. This prolongs the flowering period and adds movement to the border.

Suitable for you if:

• You want to mix different heights and flowering times in your bed

🌼 Cut differently – for variety in your border

If you have several plants of the same type, you can experiment: cut some back vigorously, others not at all. This creates a lively variation in flowering and height.

Which perennials are suitable for the Chelsea Chop?

Not all perennials like this kind of pruning – some prefer to grow undisturbed. However, many hardy, late summer beauties will reward you with extra flowers if you give them the Chelsea Chop.

These plants will love the Chelsea Chop:

• Coneflower (Rudbeckia)
• Stonecrop (Sedum)
• Asters
• Coreopsis
• Bee balm (Monarda)
• Globe thistle (Echinops)
• Marguerite daisies (Leucanthemum)
• Phlox
• Catnip (Nepata)
• Perennial sunflower (Helianthus)
• Sneezeweed (Hellenium)
• Oxeye sunflower  (Heliopsis) 

Don´t do the Chelsea Chop for:

• Bushy perennials such as coral bells, Japanese anemone, yucca or hostas 
• Spring-flowering plants such as columbine or bleeding heart 
• Delicate perennials with only one main shoot
• Slow-growing or sensitive species such as delphiniums 

One last tip

It is best to cut on a dry, not too hot day – and use sharp, clean shears. After cutting, you should water and, if necessary, fertilise lightly to help the plants sprout again.