Cutting Aubrieta – the right Guide for Healthy Plants

False rock cress  (Aubrieta) are beautiful, low-growing cushion perennials that produce bright blue flowers in spring. To keep your Blue Cushion compact and to ensure that it flowers profusely each year, it needs to be pruned. Find out when and how to prune your blue cushion.

Pruning Aubrieta – when and how?

 To keep your false rock cress healthy and flowering, you should prune it after flowering. The best time to prune is between April and the end of May.

• Cut back the faded flowers generously with hedge shears or hand shears.
• Cut the plant back up to 50% to encourage compact growth.
• Shape your Aubrieta in an attractive, even shape.
• If your Aubrieta has spread too far, trim it back to create space in the border.
• Forgotten to cut back after flowering? No problem! You can continue to prune your rock cress until September.

Why You should Prune Your Aubrieta

As well as ensuring a compact growth habit, regular pruning of Aubrieta has other benefits:

• Second bloom: After pruning, the false rock cress may flower a second time in the summer.
• Aging prevention: Without pruning, older plants tend to lose their inner foliage.
• Denser growth: Pruning will encourage the Aubrieta to form a denser cushion and remain vigorous.

Tip: Propagate False Rock Cress from cuttings

Use the cut shoots to easily propagate your Aubrieta. Here’s how:

1. Select healthy shoots and remove the lower leaves.
2. Stick three to five shoots into a flower pot filled with potting soil.
3. Cover the pot with a clear plastic bag or place in a propagator.
4. Keep the soil slightly moist and place the cuttings in a bright but not sunny spot.
5. In autumn transplant the young Aubrieta into the garden.