Gaura belleza dark pink is a stunning plant and can have 3 flushes of flowers if they are pruned properly. Prune them in spring after their first flowering down to 5 inches from the ground. Within 4 weeks you can have full stems and more flowers to replace the first flush. Prune again after these flowers have died off and prune again in late summer to neaten up the plant.
Gaura belleza dark pink can be pruned 3 times over spring and summer to keep them neat, tidy, flowering and prepare them for winter. This article will explore all you need to know about pruning gaura belleza dark pink.
Prune Gaura ‘belleza dark pink’ in early spring
Gaura will flower in early spring and can give you a stunning display of pink flowers to bring you out of winter. This early flush can be cut off after they have finished. Cut the gaura closer to the ground, to around 5 inches from the base.
Gaura will grow rapidly in spring so water them well and give them some pelleted chicken manure. You can prune back the stems before they flower to keep the plant neat. I did this and within 4 weeks the gaura plant was covered again in stems and flowers.
I did this to keep the plant smaller and neat. This is not necessary but if you are looking for a smaller bushy plant this could be a great way to go. You will still get lots of flowers, just later in spring.
Prune Gaura ‘belleza dark pink’ again late spring
After a first prune in spring, you can do a second pruning when flowers grow again. Wait for the flowers to dry off and trim the stems down removing 2/3 of the length. New stems will sprout out from the point that you cut growing a dense bush.
Gaura belleza dark pink will grow less flowers year after year as the bush ages. After 5 years you may find that you need to replace the bush completely. Older style gaura including those with white flowers tend to grow for longer. They will grow less flowers each year but last longer.
Gaura belleza dark pink use up a lot of energy to grow flowers so will need to be fertilized over spring to replace the nutrients used in this process. Organic pelleted chicken manure is perfect because it is balanced and contains organic matter to improve the soil.
Prune Gaura ‘belleza dark pink’ in summer
Gaura belleza dark pink can be pruned in summer if it is still flowering. I like to deadhead the gaura in summer but will not remove as much of the stem. Rather than pruning it down to 5 inches, I will just snip off the flower heads to leave the plant longer.
Leaving the leaves and stems longer will help to protect the plant from the hot sun. Any burnt leaves will protect the rest and help to shade to soil and keep it moist for longer.
Mulch is also important for guara over summer to keep them happy on the hottest days of summer. It will improve the soil and encourage worms to aerate the soil around the roots. This will help with a healthy root system and good soil bacteria balance.
How to prune gaura belleza dark pink for winter
Preparing gaura belleza dark pink for winter by removing old flower heads. I like to reduce the bush size to around 50% of its height. This will leave enough leaves and stems to protect the plant in winter while keeping the bush compact.
The gaura will go almost dormant over winter, slowing its growth and hardly changing. Keeping around 50% of the growth will allow the plant to photosynthesize over winter and keep a healthy root system ready to grow new stems and flower again in spring.
How much to prune off Gaura belleza dark pink
Prune off the long flower stems leaving around 5 inches of stem from the base. I like to prune back my gaura hard after flowering and allow new stems to grow from the base. This keeps the bush dense with lots of stems and lots of flowers when they grow back.
Gaura will take only around 3-4 weeks to grow stems 30 inches long with lots of flowers on the ends. Spring and summer will see rapid growth of gaura if they are given plenty of water. I water gaura every 2-3 days in spring and summer to keep them growing rapidly with lots of flowers.
I have found that Gaura belleza dark pink will grow even more rapidly than my traditional white gaura plants. Add some pelleted chicken manure to the soil at the start of spring to feed them and give them the energy to grow large stems.
When to cut back gaura belleza dark pink
Cut back gaura dark pink in spring after it has finished flowering. You can prune it back 2/3 and allow new stems to grow. Before winter reduce the stems by 50% to keep the gaura healthy and ready to grow rapidly in spring.
Gaura ‘belleza dark pink’ pruning guide | Summary
Gaura belleza dark pink can be pruned twice in spring, in late summer and in fall ready for winter. Prune off finished flowers in spring and you can cut back the plant by 60%. In winter it is better to leave the stems slightly longer to protect the plant from cold weather and frosts.
Water the gaura regularly in spring and summer and you can slow down watering in winter. Gaura will slow their growth and go almost dormant in winter. You will not need to prune in winter but you can prune back long thin stems at the start of spring to encourage the bush to grow densely.
Happy growing.
I am an accredited practicing dietitian, experienced gardener and a dedicated cook. I love writing and sharing my experience so you can learn from my successes and mistakes.