Pruning Red Campion

Red campion doesn't require formal pruning in the way a shrub does, but a bit of seasonal tidying keeps plants looking their best and can extend flowering. The main task is deadheading and cutting back spent stems in September or October, after the main flush of spring and summer blooms has finished. Once flowering tails off and seed capsules have formed, decide whether you want self-sown seedlings. If you do, leave some stems intact so seed can ripen and scatter naturally—red campion is a prolific self-seeder and will colonise shady spots happily. If you prefer to control spread, cut back all flowering stems to just above the basal rosette of leaves before seed is fully ripe. Use secateurs or garden shears for this job; the stems are soft and cut easily. In early autumn, remove any yellowing or tatty foliage to tidy the plant and reduce hiding places for slugs and snails over winter. Red campion is semi-evergreen in mild winters, so you'll often see a low rosette of leaves persisting through the cold months. Avoid cutting this back hard—just remove damaged or dead material. There's no need to prune in spring. Instead, simply clear away any winter-damaged leaves as new growth emerges. If clumps become congested after a few years, you can lift and divide them in early autumn rather than pruning, replanting vigorous outer sections and discarding the woody centre. This rejuvenates flowering and keeps plants healthy without any complicated cutting regimes.