Viewing post #442224 by JWWC

dormantsrule said:Hi OG, I just asked a hybridizer about cutting back foliage for a different reason; we've had 12.5" of rain and 2 hail storms this month. and the hail really ripped foliage My answer was to cut it only once a year (and never before scapes are full size in the spring as it will affect the blooms.) I have been wondering how often it can be cut because the EV's look so ratty in the spring and it all looks so ratty by August.

I cut back the EV and SEV varieties that I have early in the spring to get rid of anything that is mushy from freezing. I've never noticed an issue but I try to make sure I do it well before they have really kicked into growth. The times when I haven't, or missed a spot those plants end up looking terrible because the new growth gets caught up in the net of boiled cabbage looking foliage.

I will also say one year I had the brilliant idea to cut the foliage back so I could see the scapes better. Lesson learned there.