It seems to me that I read something recently that suggested that some plants winter over better if you wait to cut them back in the spring. I've made it a practice to put the gardens to bed for the winter by cutting everything back and raking up any rose debris. I have a number of plants that get wintered over in the garage in large pots. The one rose that's left in my garden will be trimmed back, mounded with dirt to protect the graft, encircled with a cage and covered with shredded leaves.
I need to surf to see what I can find about waiting to cut the plants back. It seems to me that chrysanthemums were included in that list, and maybe iris, but I can't remember the others. I want to check on daylilies, clematis, ornamental grasses and several herbs.
Comments (7)
Buffy, we do not cut back our plants in the autumn. Although we only plant hardy plants (or annuals, of course) we leave all the growth on over the winter to give them a little more protection from the winter cold. It makes the garden look a little less bare, although a little messy. Tends to work too.
Posted by Adele | October 5, 2005 5:01 AM
Posted on October 5, 2005 05:01
I'm fascinated, Adele. I always thought it was better to clean the gardens in the fall so that we didn't winder over anything harmful to the plants. I'm really surprised to hear that I need to wait until spring to cut back.
Thanks for commenting.
Posted by Buffy | October 5, 2005 12:30 PM
Posted on October 5, 2005 12:30
Well the perceived thinking over here, at least for the last couple of years is that by not cutting back the old foliage one is providing some additional protection to the plant. We lose little over the winter and we have heavy frosts, although probably we do not get as cold as you do in Chicago.
Posted by Adele | October 6, 2005 4:50 AM
Posted on October 6, 2005 04:50
Yes, Adele, I think that's what they were saying. We often get brutal weeks of well below zero temps here, and other years it's mild. I thought that by removing the dead superstructure of the plant that we were saving it from the effect of cold winds, but it seems that the leaves actually shield the base of the perennial plants.
It makes sense. Mother Nature leaves them, so we should, too.
Posted by Buffy | October 6, 2005 1:19 PM
Posted on October 6, 2005 13:19
I tend not to cut mine back until spring. The only exceptions are for plants that seem diseased, flower stalks, iris leaves and one silver mound that drapes over a pathway and just looks horrible.
I leave fallen tree leaves in the flower gardens until springtime too (although we do clean up the yard and ditch. I figure it's all free mulch!
Posted by bogie | October 7, 2005 11:06 AM
Posted on October 7, 2005 11:06
Hey girl I hav worked at church in the garden but not at hom yet! Hope your having a good Sunday. My daughter called from Chicago this morning saying it was cold!!!!
Posted by Joe Smitherman | October 9, 2005 12:40 PM
Posted on October 9, 2005 12:40
Joe, we were away from home this weekend, and it was even cold in central Indiana! I hope your daughter is "weathering" the cold well.
Bogie, I think I'll rake the leaves off the lawn and use them on parts of the garden I want to rework.
Posted by Buffy | October 9, 2005 9:50 PM
Posted on October 9, 2005 21:50