Penstemon - cut back now or in Spring?- UPDATE.....
By Henderson
United Kingdom 
Another of my woody plants it has become tall/overgrown & woody at the bottom. Should I prune it now or end of April? When I prune it, how low can I cut it off...to the base, the top or bottom of the wood or with some greenery left?
Thank you for such helpful replies. The reason my plant got so overgrown & woody was that I didn't know if/how/when to prune it in the first place. So I am excited about taking cuttings now & will try both the water & compost suggestions. But I don't know how exactly to prune it because I chopped off a previous plant in Spring (apart from 3 twigs) & obviously I got something wrong as it didn't grow anything else this year. So what is the correct way to prune it? I welcome your advice.
6 Oct, 2009
Answers
Now is the time to take cuttings: take a 2" - 3" piece, non-flowering, and place in water (if you have a sheet of polystyrene, float it on an old ice-cream tub of water, and push the cutting through that). Then you will have several new plants for next Spring!
6 Oct, 2009
Will give it a try Buzzbub with the new ones I bought yesterday in case the originals don't survive the move
6 Oct, 2009
i would say even though there are 2 windows of opertunity ie autumn or spring i would do it in spring and this applies i think to most plants that need pruning over the winter period.if you do it in spring it will start growing fairly quickly and cover any cuts wear if you do it now its got to sit all winter with an open wound
7 Oct, 2009
I took cuttings of Penstemons about 3 weeks ago and they have already rooted and starting to grow. I put them in pots of compost not water.
7 Oct, 2009
No, don't prune it now - leave the topgrowth to die back on its own. As these plants can sometimes be a little bit tender, might be wise to leave the topgrowth sitting over the roots for the winter, if you can bear it. Clear it away in the spring.
6 Oct, 2009