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| They are all done blooming. Instead of just deadheading, should I cut them down to the ground? We have had a lot of rain, and they are heavily mildewed. If they resprout, I am concerned that they do not expend too much energy going into winter. Thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by SunnyBorders 5A (My Page) on Mon, Sep 10, 12 at 18:16
| Yes. Yes. Yes, Linnea56. I know what you mean. My feelings were should I cut the photosynthesizing short, or should I stop the mildew getting into the soil. I have a lot of garden phlox (which I love), over two dozen different cultivars, in our garden. So far, cutting back has worked for me. I cut mildewed (usually older) cultivars back quickly as soon as I see mildew (whole plant), and newer cultivar stems as soon as I see mildew. Assume local conditions are a relevant factor here, but in our climate (southern Ontario, zone 5A), I feel confident this is the way to go. I install/maintain closely packed perennial beds and I think that getting light through to the low spring plants is also an important consideration. |
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| Thanks! I thought mildew spores were in the air, not in the soil? It's mostly for cosmetic reasons I want to cut them down. |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Fri, Sep 14, 12 at 16:01
| i thought air also ... with the caveat.. that you ALWAYS do a full fall cleanup with such plants.. which means.. not leaving any of the mildewed leaves to winter-over.. on top of the soil ... but i am too lazy to google it this afternoon ken |
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- Posted by SunnyBorders 5A (My Page) on Fri, Sep 14, 12 at 19:44
| My understanding is that it's the mildew (fungi) themselves that overwinter on plant material, whether the plant material is not cut back, left lying on the surface or allowed to get into the soil. It's not their spores. As Ken says then, it's plant hygiene which is relevant; namely, in a garden, cut down and remove dead plant material in the fall, or before. |
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