My valerian, both the red and the white kind, was going to seed. I don't want to be overrun with valerian, especially as it has a tough root, and I want a second flush of flowers. So this evening I went out with the secateurs and cut it right back.
End of May and beginning of June is when my garden is at its best, colour wise, and best for insects too. This period is later this year by about 3 weeks. But from now on I am doing everything I can to have food for the insects that the earlier flowers have encouraged.
Yes, I have a lot of valerian in my garden, front and back, and mainly the red variety, though some white as well. It grows in some very tough places such as between rocks and as you say has tough roots. Cutting back is probably the only way to limit the number of plants you get next year, which is what I have also done with poached egg plants recently as they self-seed all too readily and take over whole plots if allowed to. But I like to let them flower for a while to give the insects the benefit (in the case of poached egg plants, it is mainly hoverflies) before giving them the chop!
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