Whilegrowing and caring for sedumis generally easy, this perennial needs consistent pruning to keep it healthy.
Learn when to cut back sedum for winter and how to do so.
Do not cut sedum back during most of the summer or winter.
Ben-Schonewille / Getty Images
Want more gardening tips?
Spring
Spring is when you cut back the sedum down to ground level.
Cut all of the stalks to the same level.
Cutting back sedum encourages new plant growth.
Early Summer
In the early summer, cut the sedum halfway down.
Tall sedums likeAutumn Joy stonecropcan become too leggy.
Cutting the sedum by half reduces legginess and weight.
Be sure to cut sedum in early summer, around late May or June.
What Is Leggy?
When aplant is leggy, it is overly tall, stretched out, spindly, and disproportionate.
Fall
In the fall, strategically prune the sedum by removing dead or diseased stems and leaves.
Any dead stalks should be cut down to ground level.
Winter
Avoid cutting the sedum back or trimming it in the winter.
The extreme cold of winter stresses the sedum.
We tested a range of options to bring you thebest pruning shearsto buy.
Prune the sedum again in early summer and clean it up a final time in the fall.
Even so, plant sedum in anarea that receives full sunto stay healthy when overwintering.
Also, newly planted sedum is susceptible to frost damage.
So, plant sedum in the spring after there is no longer a chance of frost.
Potted sedums can survive winter, but their root systems need extra protection against the cold.
Provide extra insulation by loosely adding straw near the roots at ground level.
If the leaves are soft and gel-like, you may be overwatering them.
If the leaves are dry and crisp, they need more water.
