Perennial fall trimming cleanup - Ask Extension
My garden has many seed bearing perennials. Specifically I have Black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, and daisies. It’s fall now, and I’m not sure what ...
Knowledgebase
Perennial fall trimming cleanup #851695
Asked September 30, 2023, 8:28 AM EDT
My garden has many seed bearing perennials. Specifically I have Black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, and daisies. It’s fall now, and I’m not sure what to do with them. Do I leave the plants as is, so birds and animals can eat the seed heads, or cut them out? Should I leave the plants as is and cut them back in the late winter/early spring? Should I cut them back now? THANKS!
Allen County Ohio
Expert Response
Hello,
This is a great question. The plants that you mention, specifically coneflower and black-eyed Susan, will provide seed for birds and other wildlife through the fall. These can be left to overwinter.
Leaf litter can also be left on the ground of the garden as many butterflies and beneficial insects use the environment in which to lay eggs or to use as shelter for hibernation. Shasta daisies should have some stalks left on them in order to protect the new basal growth from winter snows.
The plants that should be cut back are plants that harbor disease, like mildew and fungal pathogens, or non-beneficial insects, such as slugs, flea beetles and squash bugs. Examples would be plants like monarda (bee balm), phlox, hostas, speedwell, daylilies, and peonies.
In the spring, the remaining flower stalks in your garden should be left on the plants until the temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees. This will give the insects time to become active and hatch from eggs, or resume normal activity. Insects such as bees may be overwintering in the stems so cut-back stalks can be left on the ground by the plant instead of being removed for compost.
Additionally, some remaining stems can be cut back to a foot and left so that native bees can take up residence in them. The flower stems that are favorites for cavity nesting bees are black-eyed Susan, coneflower, goldenrod, and asters.
All of this information is contained in the articles that you'll find by clicking on the links below. Please read these and write back if you should have more questions.
Thanks for asking Ask Extension.
Betsy B. - MGV
https://extension.psu.edu/cutting-down-perennials-in-the-fall
https://extension.psu.edu/fall-garden-tasks
https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/flowers-fruits-and-frass/2022-03-18-delay-spring-garden-cleanup-encourage-native-insects
This is a great question. The plants that you mention, specifically coneflower and black-eyed Susan, will provide seed for birds and other wildlife through the fall. These can be left to overwinter.
Leaf litter can also be left on the ground of the garden as many butterflies and beneficial insects use the environment in which to lay eggs or to use as shelter for hibernation. Shasta daisies should have some stalks left on them in order to protect the new basal growth from winter snows.
The plants that should be cut back are plants that harbor disease, like mildew and fungal pathogens, or non-beneficial insects, such as slugs, flea beetles and squash bugs. Examples would be plants like monarda (bee balm), phlox, hostas, speedwell, daylilies, and peonies.
In the spring, the remaining flower stalks in your garden should be left on the plants until the temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees. This will give the insects time to become active and hatch from eggs, or resume normal activity. Insects such as bees may be overwintering in the stems so cut-back stalks can be left on the ground by the plant instead of being removed for compost.
Additionally, some remaining stems can be cut back to a foot and left so that native bees can take up residence in them. The flower stems that are favorites for cavity nesting bees are black-eyed Susan, coneflower, goldenrod, and asters.
All of this information is contained in the articles that you'll find by clicking on the links below. Please read these and write back if you should have more questions.
Thanks for asking Ask Extension.
Betsy B. - MGV
https://extension.psu.edu/cutting-down-perennials-in-the-fall
https://extension.psu.edu/fall-garden-tasks
https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/flowers-fruits-and-frass/2022-03-18-delay-spring-garden-cleanup-encourage-native-insects
