When, how and why?

Wear gloves for all maintenance measures

The monkshood is one of the few plants that are toxic not only when taken orally in the body. So you shouldn't just be at the sowing the poisonous seeds as a precaution Gardening gloves but also when removing wilted flowers and pruning the stems. Otherwise, it can sometimes also be on areas of skin without injuries Symptoms of intoxication such as numbness and an uncomfortable burning sensation. In order to avoid accidental contact, the monkshood, which grows very high anyway, is usually planted in the middle of perennial beds.

The right cut back for the monkshood

Monkshood is a perennial plant that survives winter in the ground. A pruning in the sense of a size limitation is therefore not necessary with monkshood, since all parts of the plant above ground die off towards the end of the vegetation period anyway. Some gardeners do not cut back the monkshood until spring, but the withered stems of the plant do not look particularly attractive. Therefore, the main time for pruning is closer to October, when everyone

blossoms have wilted. When pruning the monkshood, keep the following things in mind:

• wear gardening gloves for safety reasons
• work with clean and sharp garden tools
• the direct cutting of wilted flowers prevents the formation of the particularly poisonous seeds
• Careful disposal of the cut material away from children and pets

Rejuvenate the plants by dividing them

If the individual clumps of monkshood in the garden are too big for you, then you can dig them up in the spring when budding begins and with a sharp one spade share. Wear gloves here too, as the roots of the plant are poisonous. A division every four to five years is also recommended in order to regularly rejuvenate the plants. If necessary, a division in autumn or generally possible between October and March in frost-free weather.