The Practiced Perennial Gardener

It is that time of year when I get countless emails asking what needs to be done to prepare perennials for the upcoming winter.  The actual answer for most varieties of perennials is to basically nothing other than cleaning up foliage that has been killed by the first hard freeze and this chore is just for aesthetics…. it really does not matter if you leave the dead growth and clean it up in the spring.  I actually leave some some plants standing throughout the entire winter for visual interest and  to provide the birds some seed heads to snack on.  The tips below should give you a general idea of how I prepare my beds and provide enough information for new gardeners that they don’t have to panic with winter approaching.

• Don’t get stated to early – Just because the nights and days of autumn are getting cooler don’t run for the garden shears and start pruning your perennials back to the ground.  Cutting back your plants to early will promote new soft growth that will not have time to harden off before Jack Frost arrives.  The best thing to do is to let the plants go almost completely dormant ( where they look  almost dead ) and then begin to tidy up the garden and remove the trimmed debris.  Different perennials go dormant a different times.  Many perennials enjoy the cooler days of fall and will actually put on new growth and bloom again. Others hate the cool nights and will quickly make the decision that summer is over and it  is time to retire for the season.  Here in Zone Six I do my selective pruning starting around the last week of August and continue right up until the first hard freeze. ….. and by freeze I mean temps in the lower twenties.  Many perennials will bloom way past the first frost.

 

• Perennial gardeners always dread late August and September due to the fact that most all varieties have done their thing and garden begins to look more like weeds than flowers. ( this is why it always a good idea to provide textural interest into your garden plan)   The best varieties I have found for fall color are Rudbeckia (Black Eyed Susans)  — Russian Sage — Echinacea (Magnus does better for me than the new hybrids)  — Asters — and pottted mums that I just use to fill in spots for the season.  I treat the mums like annuals and just through them out at the end of the season. 

 

• Here is my usual to do list for Fall:
• Pull out the weeds that snuck in during  the summer – I hand pull — NO HERBERCIDES
• Edge the beds
• Remove any plants that show signs of disease and destroy – do not compost!
• Tidy up – clean up all garden debris – especially leaves left over by Columbines, Hollyhocks , Monarda and Peonies
• Spread all the compost that I produced throughout the spring and summer
• Evaluate your garden and make decisioins  on what needs to be moved, divided or added to ( I use a note pad )
• If a particular area of the garden is becoming overgrown you may consider moving some of the plants or renovating the entire area
• Plants that just did not perform to my expectations usually wind up in the compost pile
• Fall is very good time to mulch – just be careful not to mulch to deeply around the crown of the plants as a this can cause crown rot in certain varieties.
• Visit your local garden centers – you can usually pick up some bargains on items they need to get rid of. this late in the year

Dividing Perennials in the Fall:
Simple rule of thumb — If the plant blooms March – June divide the plant in early fall  —  If the plant blooms after June divide in early spring.

Exceptions to the rules:  Day lilies can be divided any time even while they are blooming.  Hostas can be divided in spring or fall…. but if you decide to divide hostas in the fall let them die back to the ground and water during dry spells.  Don’t fertilize any fall divided plants as it will encourage soft new growth that will be bit right back to the ground with the first frost.

• Some perennials are a little tricky to divide and transplant:
• Orientals Poppies – Divide in mid-fall
• Peonies- Divide only in late fall
• Bearded Iris – July or August

Hope this helps you get your garden in order for winter.  

Happy Gardening,

Tra

Filed under: Uncategorized on September 25th, 2010