preparing perennials for winter - Ask Extension
I love my perennial garden but have little luck bringing them all back each year. I am planning on mulching my perennial bed for winter (a first for...
Knowledgebase
preparing perennials for winter #145868
Asked August 07, 2013, 3:42 PM EDT
I love my perennial garden but have little luck bringing them all back each year. I am planning on mulching my perennial bed for winter (a first for me). Given the resources readily available to me, I plan on using a base cover of newspaper (about 5 sheets thick) and top that with 2 inches of leaves/grass mulch. My thinking is, the newspaper will protect the bed from disease and weeds that may be in the leaves and grass mulch. My bed is very healthy with very little weed issue.
Jackson County Michigan
Expert Response
I did not see a
question here, but these are things to be aware of. I sounds like you are on the right track, but
you might consider increasing your mulch another inch or two. The use of
newspaper will help keep the weeds down in the spring and will decompose in the
next year.
Most perennials are cut
back after a killing frost in the fall. This usually occurs in late September
or early October. It is important to clean off all plant debris after the frost
to help minimize soil-borne diseases.
Most perennials simply
need a good layer of mulch applied late in the fall. The purpose of mulching in
this case is to protect the crowns of the plants from the alternate freezing
and thawing that occurs very late in fall and in early spring. It is important
that the ground be allowed to get cold before mulching, so wait until early to
mid-November before covering the plants. Ideally an inch or two of frost in the
ground is best.
Leaves from various
trees and shrubs make excellent mulch when shredded. You can shred your leaves
by running over them repeatedly with a lawn mower or using a leaf shredder (however,
avoid walnut leaves as they can be toxic to many plants). Leaves are
inexpensive and usually readily available. They offer good insulation and
compost readily. A layer 4-6 inches deep is best for most perennials.
Making sure your
perennials stay well watered until the ground freezes is important to
successful wintering. Quite often we go through several dry weeks late in
October. If the soil is dry an inch or two below the surface, give the area a
thorough soaking.
With a little extra
care, we can grow quite a few plants that aren't truly "hardy" in our
area. The key to success seems to be getting a deep root system established (by
watering deeply and preparing the soil with lots of organic matter) and
mulching heavily the first winter or two. A small fence can be put up around
the crown of the plant and the area filled with mulch.
In the spring, wait
until all the frost is out of the ground before removing the mulch. If it gets
very warm early, you may want to pull back part of the mulch, but leave at least
2-3 inches. Some gardeners leave mulches in the beds, just pulling them back
away from the crown of the plants. This adds organic matter and helps suppress
weeds. Mulches that have been removed can be composted.
Hope this was helpful.
I’m sure you will be successful in overwintering this year!
Feel free to contact us
again if you have further questions.
Thank you. Although I did not ask in question form, you understood what I was trying to ask. The information you gave me will be used and I appreciate your help.
You are very welcome. I'm sure you will enjoy your perennials for years to come.
