|
Wed, Nov 14, 12 at 11:22
| I have a border of liriope in front of my rose garden. Should I cut in down now or in the spring? I was thinking it might provide some winter protection. Also should I worry that it could become invasive and damage the roses? |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
- Posted by mistascott 7A VA (My Page) on Wed, Nov 14, 12 at 12:57
| Late Winter/Early Spring before the new growth starts. Do you know the species? L. spicata spreads by rhizome very aggressively; L. muscari is clumping and non-aggressive. One way to tell the difference is usually the flower of L. muscari is medium to dark purple whereas L. spicata's flowers are lighter purple (lavender) to white. Also, L. spicata has thinner leaves and looks more grassy than L. muscari. If you have L. spicata it will probably surround the roses and might interfere with their root systems -- so would be best to get rid of it -- though that is easier said than done! L. spicata can be a curse. Good luck! |
|
| I usually leave mine standing over winter, but I don't know if it's necessary. I have L. muscari, which stays relatively green for me over winter (though a snow dump wrecks the foliage, of course...). One of DH's chores in the spring is cutting down all the ornamental grasses, so I just leave the liriope for him to cut down while he's working on the grasses. |
|
- Posted by mistascott 7A VA (My Page) on Thu, Nov 15, 12 at 12:15
| If you cut it down in Fall, you take away its "evergreen" attractiveness, but otherwise you won't harm it (unless you are in a zone in which it is marginally hardy, then you may help it survive by leaving the foliage as winter protection). It comes down to your personal preference; if it starts looking hideous during the winter, it may be better to get rid of the ugly. A lot of times people wait too long into Spring and cut the new growth which then makes for a hideous looking plant all season long. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Perennials Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.