Do I need to prune my garden perennials before the snow falls?

Question

I bought a house and there are

1. rose bushes
2. raspberry bushes
3. tons of perennials like lavender
4. clematis thing

Do I need to cut them down to the ground this winter? How about protecting them from harsh weather? Thanks!

Answer 1

1. yes 2. yes 3. No, you can prune perennials in spring before new growth starts. Many birds eat the seeds of lots of perennials or land on the stems to rest. I leave mine for the wildlife and also to add interest to the winter garden. 4. It depends which group your clematis falls into. Some should be cut within 6 inches of the ground in spring, others bloom on old growth and only need light pruning of dead stems. It never hurts to mulch your plants for extra winter protection.

Answer 2

Rose bushes prune back about 2" from the soil,except for climbing roses they do not need to be pruned. Raspberry bushes, prune back the old canes , they will be tougher wood, leave the new canes from this year as that is what is going to produce the fruit for next year,clematis depending on what type it is some you do other you don't, when in doubt, DON'T. and lavender you could almost mow the plant with your lawn mower and it would come back up. Actually I rarely cut back perennials as they all have seeds on them which you feathered friends enjoy through the winter months. If you have trees in your yard a good mulch is the fall leaves it helps to protect the roots of all your plants...........Good Luck

Answer 3

Depends on the climate. Heavy snow loads and severe cold, yes, you should prune and cover with mulch.

Otherwise, on roses, remove all old blooms and buds to eliminate overwintering insects.

Raspberries, if everbearing yes, you can cut them back if you want, otherwise, only remove those that bore this year as they are finished. The others must stay.

Perennials....lavender I see you don't have a real cold climate ig you are growiong lavender. Just tidy it up a bit, no serious cutting. Same with the others, remove old flower heads, tidy up.

Clematis thing.....vine...no, leave the vine alone.

Most of all, if you live in a dry winter climate, water once or twice a month! If it gets near zero F, by all means spread a loose mulch around the perennials, clematis base and roses.

Answer 4

I don't cut mine back, but a good layer of mulch will protect the roots.

Answer 5

1yes ,2yes,3yes,4no.try to dob pruning tar on what you cut so you dont get cain bores.