Gypsophila is a family of plants known commonly as baby’s breath. The abundance of delicate little flowers makes it a popular border or low hedge in the garden. You can grow baby’s breath as an annual or a perennial, depending on the variety chosen. Care is fairly easy, but a little Gypsophila pruning will help your plants grow healthier and bloom more.
Do I Need to Cut Back Baby’s Breath?
You don’t technically need to trim or prune your baby’s breath plants, but it is recommended for a few reasons. One is that, by deadheading, you will keep your plants looking neat and tidy. This can be done for both perennials and annuals.
Another good reason to cut back baby’s breath is to encourage another round of flowers. Heavier cut backs after the growing season will keep plants trimmed and neat and will encourage new growth later in perennial varieties.
How to Prune Baby’s Breath
The best time for trimming baby’s breath is after they bloom. Most of these plants bloom in the spring and summer. They will benefit from deadheading as the flowers fade, as well as a complete cut back to allow them to bloom again.
Baby’s breath plants have terminal flower sprays and secondary sprays that grow to the sides. The terminal flowers will die first. Start deadheading those when about half of those blooms have faded. Prune the terminal sprays at the point just above where secondary sprays emerge. Next, when they’re ready, you’ll do the same for the secondary sprays.
You should see a new flush of flowers in summer or even in early fall if you do this pruning. Once the second blooming is finished, you can cut the plants way back. Trim all the stems down to about an inch (2.5 cm.) above the ground. If your variety is perennial, you should see healthy new growth in the spring.
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FAQs
Wait until growth begins in the spring and then trim them down by about a third. If you prune again in the summer, you'll encourage lots of flowers all season long. Enjoy your garden!
How to prune a baby's breath plant? ›
After the first flush of flowers, prune back spent stems to encourage a second show. For those with hot summers, additional flushes may not be possible, but cooler climates may even enjoy a third flush before the frost. Finally, in autumn, cut perennial Gypsophila back — almost to ground level — for overwintering.
Where do you cut a baby's breath? ›
You can maximize the amount of "usable" stems by cutting above the laterals or breaks in the stem (where they branch off). Try to cut so you have the longest possible stems on both pieces. Also, keep in mind that the stems that go in vase don't need to reach all the way to the bottom; they just need to reach the water.
How to grow baby's breath from cutting? ›
Propagating Baby's Breath
Remove any leaves in the 1/3 portion of the lowest part of the cutting. Plant the cuttings in a small container filled with alkaline soil and mist often, keeping the soil moist, not soaked. The cuttings should be rooted in approximately four weeks, which you can then transplant outside.
How long does baby's breath last once cut? ›
Although the stems need to be placed in clean, fresh water, the little blooms should not get wet. Please keep Baby's Breath in a cool environment for best results. Vase life: average vase life with proper care and handling, approximately 7 to 10 days.
How to maintain baby breath? ›
Watering: Baby's Breath prefers well-draining soil, so be careful not to overwater. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Water deeply but infrequently to encourage the development of a strong root system. Fertilizing: Baby's Breath doesn't require much fertilizer, as it can grow in poor soils.
Where does baby's breath grow best? ›
Baby's breath likes full sun in northern regions and morning sun with a bit of afternoon shade in hotter climates. Hardy to USDA zones 3 to 9, it will grow in most areas of the US. Poor, sandy, or otherwise less fertile soil is fine for Gypsohila.
How do you dry cut a baby's breath? ›
Drying Baby's Breath Flower
Discard any blooms that are browning or damaged. Bundle them up with a twine or rubber band, and hang these babies upside down! A dry, dark room would be ideal as sunlight can cause its colors to fade. Drying will take about 5 – 14 days and it's ready to add rustic elegance to your decors!
Why is baby's breath a problem? ›
Baby's Breath out-competes native plants and takes over their habitat while providing no food or habitat for native wildlife. Its threatening native plants like wormwood, broomrape, and the threatened Pitcher's thistle.
How can I improve my baby's breath? ›
Treatment for Baby Bad Breath
Feeding them a diet low in starch and sugar. Gently wiping or brushing your baby's teeth and gums with a soft-bristled toothbrush, especially after feeding and before bedtime. Visiting the dentist or dental hygienist as soon as their first tooth appears.
What time of the year does baby's breath grow? Gypsophila paniculata, the most commonly grown baby's breath, is a perennial plant. It grows from spring to fall and goes dormant for the winter. It blooms in late spring and throughout the summer.
How to trim baby's breath? ›
Pruning encourages new growth and keeps the plants from getting leggy. It's a little too late in the year to cut yours back. Wait until growth begins in the spring and then trim them down by about a third.
What is the life cycle of baby's breath? ›
Life-Cycle
Baby's breath is a perennial; new plants come up every year from the same root system. It spreads via seeds, not a spreading root system, but one plant can produce well over 10,000 seeds. Plants become brittle, break and roll like tumbleweeds, spreading seeds.
What does baby breath symbolize? ›
Baby's Breath Flower Meaning
Buying the baby's breath flower often represents sincerity, purity, and love in many forms. It also sometimes symbolizes innocence, making it an excellent gift for baby showers and many other occasions. When given as a gift, they are given as one of thoughtfulness and love.
What is the lifespan of a baby's breath plant? ›
Baby's Breath are annual flowers, meaning their life cycle lasts only one year, and they are marked by their extremely tender composition.
Does baby's breath come back every year? ›
Baby's breath is a perennial; new plants come up every year from the same root system. It spreads via seeds, not a spreading root system, but one plant can produce well over 10,000 seeds.
How tall does a baby's breath get? ›
Baby's breath is a much-branched perennial herb growing up to 2.5 feet (0.75 meters) in height. It has a deep root system that helps it to survive in arid conditions.
