Snow-in-Summer Care
Cerastium tomentosum
A drought-tolerant ground cover known for its silvery leaves and white flowers that open in early summer. It needs full sun and sandy or gravelly soils that drain water quickly; its biggest enemy is root rot caused by excess water and poor drainage.
Monthly care calendar
Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.
- Watering: Not required; winter precipitation is sufficient.
- Pruning: Remove only parts damaged or rotted in winter.
- General care: A suitable time to propagate by root division or cuttings.
- Pests & diseases: Root and crown rot (the plant dying back from the center) is the biggest risk, so make sure drainage is excellent.
- Watering: Not needed; rainfall is sufficient.
- General care: To keep its spread under control, you can limit its edges.
- Watering: Not required, spring rainfall is sufficient. Only newly planted saplings should be watered.
- Fertilizing: Absolutely not needed. Fertilizing causes weak and stunted growth.
- General care: The plant spreads rapidly in spring and prepares to flower.
- Watering: If there is no rainfall, water every 15 days.
- Pruning: Not needed. Flowering begins.
- General care: The plant begins to be covered in flowers.
- Watering: Continue watering every 15 days.
- Pruning: Not needed. Flowering is at its peak and the plant looks like a white carpet.
- General care: Drainage is vital for this plant. In heavy, water-retaining soil, plant on a mound or bed raised 20-30 cm, and keep the root collar above the surrounding soil level.
- Watering: In a long drought, water deeply once a month.
- Pruning: **CRITICAL PERIOD:** After flowering has fully finished, cut the entire plant hard with shears to 5-10 cm above ground. This prevents the centre of the plant from going bare and encourages renewal of the silver foliage.
- General care: This pruning is vital for the plant's health and appearance.
- Pests & diseases: After pruning, the plant becomes healthier.
- Watering: In midsummer, deep watering every 15-20 days is enough. Established plants (over 2 years old) do not need watering in most years. Water so that the soil is wetted to a depth of 10-15 cm from the surface.
- Pruning: Prune as soon as flowering ends. Next year's flower buds form over the summer; late pruning reduces flowering.
- General care: The new silvery leaves that appear after pruning create an attractive display throughout the summer.
- Watering: In midsummer, deep watering every 15-20 days is enough. Established plants (over 2 years old) do not need watering in most years. Water so that the soil is wetted to a depth of 10-15 cm from the surface.
- General care: The plant is fully adapted to summer heat.
- Watering: In a long drought, water deeply once a month.
- General care: The best time of year to plant new seedlings or to take cuttings from an existing plant and root them. It must be planted in a well-drained, sandy/gravelly site.
- Watering: Not required; autumn precipitation is sufficient.
- General care: With the rains the plant revives and prepares for winter. Check its spread.
- Watering: Not needed; rainfall is sufficient.
- General care: In winter rains, make sure water does not pool in the root zone; for this plant, drainage is more critical than irrigation.
- General care: The plant is dormant in winter but remains decorative with its silvery foliage.
- Pests & diseases: The only risk is the roots staying constantly in water in places with poor drainage.
The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.
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