Also known as gayfeather or liatris, blazing star’s bright purple flowering spikes are often the star of prairie and butterfly gardens. Here are some hints on when to cut and when to wait. Bee balm (Monarda) and phlox (Phlox paniculata) with powdery mildew are examples. Grab the leaves and cut back the stems to a few inches above the soil after the first frost. Other plants, however, can’t handle a fall pruning (we’re looking at you, azalea, viburnum, loropetalum, and lilac.) There's something very satisfying about making an early start on next year's garden. Above: Many seedheads provide food to wildlife and are worth keeping around through winter. Late summer and early fall is the time to plant, divide, and transplant many different perennials, shrubs, and trees including spring flowering perennials. Tai Pan Crocosmia 28 Best Perennials for a Cutting Flower Garden – Tai Pan Crocosmia. A nice addition to a cut flower garden. There are several reasons for this. Plants that do not provide many benefits to wildlife or winter interest can be cut back in the fall to reduce labor in the spring. Remember to destroy, not compost, diseased stems and leaves. Dick Zondag, owner of Wisconsin-based Jung Seed Company, offers tips for 10 perennials to trim this fall and five you can leave alone until spring. Candytuft, primulas, dianthus, hens & chicks, heaths, and heathers are also considered evergreen and should not be cut back in the fall. Some perennial tops are best cut back in fall, while other types winter best with their tops left intact. Why do we need this? In some areas of Pennsylvania, however, where seasons are short, gardeners have more time for cleanup chores in autumn. Cut Back: Peony. Some perennial tops are best cut back in fall, while other types winter best with their tops left intact. Grab a favorite pruner or shears and start trimming. After the first frost when they are blackened and looking ugly, pull them out and throw them in the compost bin. There is no way to make this plant shorter again. Bee balm (Monarda) and phlox (Phlox paniculata) with powdery mildew are examples. Whether you cut your plant back in the fall or spring it will replace it’s growth and be just as high by mid-July next year. You will be less likely to dig into them accidentally before they appear in spring if you can see a portion of their stalks. Perennials to leave. Here at American Meadows, many of us are already sketching, planning and organizing our thoughts around the excitement of fall planting. Cut back in late fall or early spring as the buds start to swell. You may need to cut back old, dying Bear’s Breeches foliage throughout the growing season, but the new healthy growth remaining in the fall could well remain evergreen throughout the winter, depending on weather conditions. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. It is important to cut back hostas and remove all their leaves from the ground as soon as the frost takes them. It's a bit late, but your gladiolus bulbs should be pulled up, the dirt removed and the tops cut back. Likewise, clean up plant debris from the vegetable garden. Seed heads on coneflowers (echinacea) can look pretty covered with frost or snow, but they also offer important sustenance for winter birds. Trim bee balm (monarda) down to the soil to discourage problems such as mildew. We cut back perennials in the fall to clean our gardens up for spring, encouraging new growth and flowering. In addition to many of the perennials having attractive foliage and/or seed heads, they offer food resources for birds. Dividing or splitting a single perennial into multiple plants helps the plant perform better. For a list of plants you could trim in the fall and ones you should leave for spring, take a look here. Mike: I would like to know which flowers or shrubs should be left standing through the winter and then cut back at the beginning of Spring, and which should be cut back now and mulched over for the winter? This means that they've already formed their flower buds. Astilbe. Thank You.---Lauriann in Germantown. Easy to grow Tai Pan Crocosmia has solid, dark yellow blossoms. Some perennials, such as pulmonaria, retire back to a dense clump of basal foliage that should be left in place. Tops cut back in fall • Peonies are a good time to throw in compost... Gardening questions, the answer is 'it depends. the old stems will protect crown! Hide and thrive once spring returns the leaves and any other debris cleaned eliminates... Garden for years in or near native plants for the Extension Community spring or pruning... 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