STOP Cutting Back These 12 Perennials in Fall (You’re Killing Them!), by Urban farming on YouTube. 21 min 50 s.
- Video length
- 21 min 50 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Leave sedum, bee balm, black-eyed Susan, coneflower and cardinal flower standing through winter. Their hollow stems and seed heads protect the crown and feed birds and bees.
Keep ornamental grasses tall. Tie them in a loose bundle if they flop, and cut them to about 6 inches in late winter or early spring.
Leave hellebore foliage alone in fall. Cut old leaves back in late winter, just before new growth and flowers appear.
Do not cut butterfly bush or Russian sage to the ground in fall. Wait until early spring, then cut back to healthy buds on the stems.
Leave lavender stems standing over winter. Prune lightly in early spring, cutting into soft growth and never into the bare woody base.
Keep coral bells leaves in place for winter cover. Clean them up in early spring when new leaves start to show.
Leave garden mums standing after they fade. Cut them back in spring once new green shoots appear at the base.
If you already cut a plant back, pile 2 to 3 inches of leaves or mulch over the crown to insulate it and keep frost from lifting the roots.
Tips and common mistakes
Standing stems hold snow and shed water, which keeps the crown from rotting and frost heave from pushing roots out of the soil.
Tidy the bed by trimming only broken or diseased stems, and leave the rest until late winter.
Do not prune lavender into old bare wood, because it rarely regrows from there.
Wait until the worst frost has passed before cutting anything back in spring.
Questions
Can I cut lavender back in autumn?
No. Leave the stems on over winter and prune lightly in early spring, keeping cuts in the soft green growth.
What if I already cut my perennials to the ground?
Cover the crown with a few inches of leaves or mulch and leave it alone. Many plants still come back in spring.
When should I cut perennials back?
Most of these plants are cut in late winter or early spring, once new growth starts at the base.
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.
