perennial garden care?

Question

I started a perennial garden last year and when fall came my husband cut all the plants down to the ground as part of the fall yard clean-up. Before he does it again this year I'd like to know : is this the proper thing to do? Are any plants supposed to be left untouched?
Thanks!

Answer 1

Many perennials are better left standing over the winter than cutting them down. With some marginally hardy perennials, leaving the stems up for the winter aids in overwintering. The foliage helps to insulate the crowns. Asclepias (Butterfly Weed), Chrysanthemums and Heuchera (Coral Bells) fare best if cleaned up in the spring. The stems of perennials also offer a food source & a place for some birds to hide during the winter. Seeds of Echinacea and Rudbeckia will attract and feed the birds.

Since the buds for next year’s growth are right at the surface or higher and not below the soil line, cutting too close can result in winter injury. If you cut perennials, cut down within 2-3 inches of the crown, after they have gone dormant (usually after the plants have experienced several hard frosts).
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/perennials/fall.html

Cutting down diseased foliage is something you should do because it helps to reduce the amount of innoculum present to reinfest next year’s foliage. Diseased foliage should be removed immediately.

You can clear away the dried up leaves & stems of healthy perennials but it isn't necessary to cut your perennials down in the fall. Removing some foliage can make the plants look neater & allow sun to reach tubers (Iris) preventing rot. Daylily stems can be easily pulled out as they become dried up & unsightly. Iris can be trimmed into a fan shape. Since many perennials new growth doesn't appear until later in the season, it helps to have parts of the dried up stem showing so you don't damage the perennial roots by mistake.

Take a look at this list of perennials to leave alone til spring (3 pages):
http://gardening.about.com/od/maintenance/a/Spring_Pruning.htm

Good Luck! Hope this is helpful.

Answer 2

True perennials will die down anyway in the fall. Your husband can safely cut down anything that's died out already. I would wait to cut back anything that's still green, because plants do a lot of root growth in the fall while the soil is still warm. If you are in an area that gets a lot of snow, you can leave the stalks up as winter interest. If you're in an area that freezes but not much snow, you might want to leave the foliage as protection against the roots freezing; or just mulch heavily.

Answer 3

Get a good book on perennials which has the care of each plant ... that should tell you the times to 'prune' that type of plant for 'good flowering' or 'good shape' the next year ... some need to be pruned in the fall, some in the winter, and some in the spring. NEVER let your husband 'cut them all to the ground' because that is NOT a 'good pruning' and could kill your perennials.

Answer 4

You definitely need to get rid of the spent blooms: you'll rejuvinate the foliage too if you prune it way back (not all the way, but get rid of the beat-up leaves, too. They will rebloom! What you really want to do is to have other perennials that have colors that work well, and that bloom either all at the same time, and then the rest of the year, it's a green garden, or have perennials that bloom at different times. Purple works well with pinks and whites, or yellows and whites. What appeals to you? Need to know your zone to recommend plants... up here in Canada, we go from 0 to 8a. That's a lot of spread :-)

Answer 5

I thought your question said pregenital garden care. Gotta get my mind out of the gutter!!