9 Perennials You Must NEVER Cut to the Ground in Fall (You're Killing Them), by The Garden Guide on YouTube. 19 min 3 s.
- Video length
- 19 min 3 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Wait until the plant has died back naturally. Resist the urge to tidy everything the first cool week of fall.
Leave coneflower stems standing. The dried seed heads feed goldfinches and native bees through winter.
Keep Rudbeckia and Sedum Autumn Joy upright too. Their stems and old flowers hold snow and shelter the crown.
Leave ornamental grasses uncut. Tie them loosely or just leave them, then cut them down in early spring.
Do not cut butterfly bush, Russian sage or lavender to the ground. Trim lavender lightly only, never into old bare wood.
Leave coral bells alone. Their foliage protects the crown from frost heave, the freezing and thawing that pushes roots up.
Keep healthy garden mums standing. Their own stems and leaves insulate the crown over winter.
Remove any diseased or pest-infested stems now. Bag them and put them in the trash, not the compost.
Clean up the standing stems in spring, once you see new green growth at the base.
Tips and common mistakes
A messy winter garden is fine. Dried stems are working for you, not against you.
Never cut lavender into the old woody base. It often will not grow back from bare wood.
Cut diseased foliage on a dry day and disinfect your pruners afterwards so you do not spread it.
Skip the urge to mulch heavily over crowns. Good drainage matters more than a thick blanket.
Questions
Can I cut coneflower back in fall if it looks messy?
You can, but you lose the winter food for birds and the insulation around the crown. Leaving it until spring is the safer choice.
When should I cut back perennials I left standing?
Wait until you see new green growth at the base in spring. Then cut the old stems down to a few inches above the ground.
What if a plant looks diseased in fall?
Cut those stems now and throw them in the trash. Do not compost diseased material or leave it near healthy plants.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
