Don't Cut Back These 7 Perennials This Fall, by Marigold Morning on YouTube. 15 min 13 s.
- Video length
- 15 min 13 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Check your first hard frost date and USDA zone before you start. Timing shifts with your climate, so ask your local extension office if you are unsure.
Leave ornamental grasses standing. The old stems and seed heads hold snow and protect the crown through winter.
Skip cutting black-eyed Susans. Leave the stems and seed heads for birds and winter cover, then tidy them in spring.
Leave butterfly weed alone. Its old stems mark where the plant sits and the seed pods feed wildlife.
Keep coral bells in place. Their evergreen or semi-evergreen leaves shelter the crown, so only remove damaged foliage.
Do not cut lavender into old wood. Trim lightly in spring after new growth appears, since lavender will not regrow from bare woody stems.
Leave garden mums standing. Research from university extension found they survive winter better with dead tops left on, so skip the two inch haircut.
Leave purple coneflower standing. The seed heads feed birds and the old stems protect the crown from frost heave.
Cut these four to the ground: bearded iris, peonies, mildewed phlox and bee balm, and hostas. Clear the debris so disease does not overwinter.
Walk the border with your checklist and confirm each plant before you cut. Leave the seven standing and remove only the four on the cut list.
Tips and common mistakes
Never cut a perennial to two inches as a blanket rule, since that can kill mums and lavender.
Clean your pruners between plants so you do not spread mildew from phlox to healthy plants.
Leave seed heads on coneflower and black-eyed Susans for birds, then cut back in early spring.
Mark dormant plants with a small stake so you do not dig them up by mistake.
Questions
When should I cut back the perennials that do need it?
Cut bearded iris, peonies, mildewed phlox and bee balm, and hostas after they die back in fall. Remove the debris from the border rather than leaving it on the soil.
Will leaving dead stems cause disease?
Healthy old growth is fine and protects the crown. Remove any foliage with mildew or spots, and clean your tools afterward.
Does this advice work in every climate?
Timing depends on your first hard frost and USDA zone. Check with your local extension office for your area.
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.
