It's Time for the Texas Chop

It's time for the Texas Chop!

The Dallas Garden School

July is here, and it's time for the Texas Chop.

What the heck is the Texas Chop?

Before we dive into the Texas Chop, first you need to understand the Chelsea Chop.

The Chelsea Flower Show takes place every year in England in late May which is the same time our British gardening friends cut back summer-blooming perennials (and certain annuals) by a third or half in order to create more compact plants (prevent flopping) or to stagger blooming for a longer display. (This pre-bloom cut back is an advanced perennial management technique that I will address in an upcoming class. We do it slightly earlier.) They call it the Chelsea Chop.

Borrowing nomenclature from our friends across the pond, the Texas Chop refers to the practice of cutting back perennials and certain annuals by one-third to one-half in July - after the initial bloom period - in order to maintain plant compactness, encourage a strong fall bloom, and overall refresh the plant.

You are probably noticing that many of your perennials are starting to look rather sad. The "Texas Chop" is the answer to that. Though it does make your plants look even more sad for a few weeks as they regrow foliage, come fall you will be very glad that you chopped them back.

Texas Chop best practices

Some plants need "shearing" and some plants need strong "deadheading".
Each perennial in your garden will require slightly different handling. Some need and tolerate a shearing (cutting back entire plant to a certain height) and some need deeper-than-normal deadheading (pruning off individual flower stalks to a certain height above a set of leaves).

Perennials with flower heads or daisy-shaped flowers like purple coneflower and rudbeckia tend to look decapitated (headless stem) if sheared back. Cut these back to a thicker main stem above a set of leaves where new buds are already forming. (See below for plants that benefit from a deep deadheading.)
Not all perennials require or tolerate cutting back.
When in doubt, leave your perennials as they are. Especially fall-blooming perennials and certain woody plants. If you cut back certain plants back too late, you put the fall bloom at risk. Over time, you'll start to recognize plant growth patterns and get a sense of what can and should be cut back in July.
Use sharp, high-quality tools.
When shearing plants, I like to use hedge trimmers or large garden scissors. Sharp hedge trimmers make easy work of cutting back large or woody plants. I use the garden scissors when I need to be more precise. For deadheading, I will use a good pair of all-purpose pruners.
Be careful with woody perennials.
Woody perennials like Salvia greggii, Texas Rock Rose, and Caryopteris need to be sheared back with care. If you cut the plants back too much, they won't bounce back well. Don't go all the way to the woody base.

Perennials to shear

Gregg's Mist Flower
Salvia farinacea
Salvia greggii
Texas Rock Rose
Caryopteris
Artemesia
Salvia nemorosa
Nepeta (Catmint)
Verbena
Texas aster
Mexican Bush Sage (lightly)
Mexican Mint Marigold

Perennials to deadhead

Agastache
Echinacea
Monarda (Bee Balm)
Rudbeckia
Shasta Daisies
Achillea (Yarrow)
Gaillardia
Butterfly Bush

Annuals to deadhead

Cornflower (Bachelor's Buttons)
Gomphrena
Basil (large plants can tolerate shearing)
Zinnias
Purple Hyacinth Bean

upcoming classes

Blossom Brilliance: Cool Weather Flowers for Cottage Gardens

STREAM NOW If you think that growing cottage garden flowers like poppies, sweet peas, and foxgloves is impossible in our challenging climate, think again! In this online livestream class, you will learn how to plan, select, and cultivate some of the world's most beautiful cut flowers using a simple but remarkable technique that produces incredible results.

Root Vegetable Revolution

Saturday, September 14, 10am-12pm, Online Root vegetables including onions, garlic, potatoes, radishes, beets, and carrots are some of the healthiest vegetables you can eat. This brand new online class will show you just how simple and easy it is to grow them in North Texas. We'll review how to plan for a continuous harvest, the best varieties for our area, and how to prepare your garden beds before planting.

Designing with Bulbs: Plan & Grow Spring Bloomers

Saturday, October 19, 10am-12pm Transform your garden into a springtime masterpiece. Learn the art of selecting, arranging, and cultivating a diverse array of bulbs for a vibrant and captivating spring display. Learn important garden design concepts, and create a landscape that bursts with color and vitality at the first signs of spring - with very little effort!