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Preparing for winter

How do you prepare your flower garden for winter? Do I cut the stalks down?

Comments (11)

  • northerner_on
    12 years ago

    Everyone has their own way of preparing for winter but I like to cut all perennials back (especially re-seeders), remove the remains of all annuals and veggies, and top dress with a little compost if available, and some shredded leaves as mulch. This leaves less to do in spring, and the garden is ready for planting out. It can be time-consuming, but I think it's worth it. I need to start early.

  • kqcrna
    12 years ago

    I do much the same as northerner. I yank most annuals, but leave a few roots in the soil as worm food. I cut perennials down to about 8", and move and divide a lot of perennials too. I try to weed as I go. Plant trimmings go into the compost pile to make next year's compost. I spread any finished compost that I have, and mulch some areas with shredded leaves. And I collect and hoard fall leaves to use in next year's compost, too. It's also time to spread a pre-emergent if that's your thing.

    Karen

  • docmom_gw
    12 years ago

    I'm very torn about whether or not to cut down my perennials. I have primarily native plants with the goal of providing habitat for wildlife. One of the few winter food sources for birds that stay around, is seeds left on the plants. However, the old, dried out flower stalks really can seem like an eye sore. Also, many insects (butterflies) overwinter in chrysalises that hang on stalks in the garden. If we cut them down, the butterflies won't be able to hatch out in the spring. I've also found that the stalks really help capture the fall leaves and keep them from blowing away (and into the neighbor's yards). So, it's not an easy decision. Certainly, fall is a good time for transplanting and dividing perennials, and that's hard to do without trimming the stalks. Good luck in your seasonal chores.

    Martha

  • kqcrna
    12 years ago

    I have to cut down my perennials to avoid all the rampant reseeding. Besides, Martha, if you leave about 8" or so standing, those remaining stems really snag and hold on to fall leaves. You should try it with a least a few and see for yourself how well that works.

    The stuff I cut down is still mostly green, and as such it breaks down into compost reasonably fast. Left standing until spring, it leaves a massive amount of stuff to get rid of in spring, and that dead, brown stuff takes forever and a day to decompose.

    I really don't want to start off the garden season doing this stuff in spring, I want a nice quick clean-up then. I never get everything done before winter, but I do as much as I can.

    Karen

  • river_crossroads z8b Central Louisiana
    12 years ago

    Here's a pic of a dried seed bouquet for the birds - posted by echinaceamaniac in the perennials forum. He says he waits until the stem starts turning brown to cut it. Presumably the flowerhead is good and black by then and the seed is ripe. I would really like to cut the stem sooner to make the plant look nice but I know the seed needs to ripen on the plant to be food for the birds (or to be ripe enough for me to harvest). The birds won't want the seed if the stem is cut too soon, right? Thought the bouquet was an interesting idea.

    Here is a link that might be useful: dried bouquet buffet

  • bakemom_gw
    12 years ago

    it's always a balance between cutting back and winter interest and critter needs. One thing I find is that chopped grass and leaves from my mulching mower (I have a honda that does it on the fly) creates fabulous mulch. I know more people who carry leaf bags in their car to "harvest" leaves set out on the curb.

  • docmom_gw
    12 years ago

    I've developed a tradition of renting a U-haul truck each fall to travel around and collect leaves from the curb. I have a friend who comes with me. One of us drives while the other is the spotter, peering down the side streets for large piles of brown bags. I decided the price of the truck is pennies compared to what I'd pay for someone to deliver that amount of mulch. And I save time and money on watering the garden with so much organic material protecting the roots and keeping them cool.

    Martha

  • kqcrna
    12 years ago

    Wow, Martha, you're good. I do drive around on garbage night sometimes and pick up bags of leaves, but only a few at a time fit in my car. Renting a truck is good.

    Karen

  • bev2009
    12 years ago

    I find the birds will eat the seeds at all stages. We have finches on the sunflowers all summer as soon as the head forms. They like the tiny little seeds before the seeds develop to much too. I know I leave too much to be done until spring, but I do worry about the chrysalis and like to leave the seeds heads for the birds. For things that re-seed a little too easily, I do cut back now...think balsam. But as I am aging, I can see myself doing more and more in the fall. Besides, we have a wetland at the end of the street, so I figure the birds could really just dine there.

  • dorisl
    12 years ago

    OMG! LOL! Im so envious! My husband would absolutely shoot me if I rented a truck for that! We have to do it under cover of the night for fear of the neighbors thinking we're whackjobs. We live in a neighborhood where most people's idea of gardening is to go to target while the landscapers come.

    :)

  • northforker
    12 years ago

    dorisl, I can relate!!! In the nice weather I just chuckle as the landscapers arrive to the neighborhood for their sometimes 2x per week visits (one to cut grass, one to tend flowers)as the property owners go running and biking for excerise. I want to say = why don't you just DO your gardening for excerise, and donate the money to charity!!!!! And I have to say I can get quite offended when one of these folks talks about something that compares "their" garden to mine. Come on - YOUR garden? You've not stepped foot in it!

    I need to be better about doing Fall garden tasks. But I must admit I am pooped and feeling "done" by Oct 1!!!!! I KNOW investing a little now will save me so much in the spring but I get lazy and want to just collect seeds, not do real physical work. I think if the sun was shinning and we were having bright ,cool days I might find soem energy, but our fall weather to date has been cloudy,rainy and mostly muggy buggy.

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