Key Points
- Fall is the most effective time to organize your backyard for winter, however avoiding widespread errors retains your perennials wholesome for spring.
- Don’t prune or divide too early—wait till vegetation are dormant or nicely earlier than frost so roots can retailer vitality.
- Leave some leaves, stems, and seed heads in place to guard bugs, retain moisture, and add winter magnificence.
Autumn is the right time to get spring bulbs within the floor and put together your vegetable backyard for winter. However, with a lot to do, it’s straightforward to make a mistake or two that would hurt your perennials. These errors might result in disastrous outcomes, together with broken roots and weakened plant well being.
Here, we share recommendation from gardening specialists about which seasonal errors to keep away from this fall—and what you need to be doing as an alternative.
Cutting Back Too Early
Pruning too early may cause issues. “Cutting foliage earlier than it naturally dies again prevents vegetation from storing sufficient vitality of their roots, leaving them weaker when spring arrives,” says Wendy Overbeck Dunham, director of horticulture at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park.
“Pruning before a plant is fully dormant can stimulate tender new growth that cold weather will damage,” provides Corey Ashford, gardening professional and accomplice at EarthSpoke Farm. Perennial roses, like Knock Out roses, are a traditional instance. They ought to solely be in the reduction of as soon as dormancy has set in, he says—which in most climates makes it a winter process, not a fall one.
Instead of pruning too early, wait till the perennial foliage naturally yellows and dies again earlier than chopping. “This allows the plant to finish sending energy to its roots and sets it up for a stronger start next season,” says Dunham.
Removing Fallen Leaves
Fallen leaves, stems, twigs, and branches are autumn and winter abodes for helpful bugs like pollinators. “A total clean-up removes the natural mulch and overwintering habitat that many beneficial insects depend on,” says Dunham.
Instead, tuck some leaves into backyard beds as pure mulch, and preserve hole stems for bugs to shelter in. This protects vegetation and helps biodiversity.
Transplanting Too Early
Another widespread mistake is transplanting perennials simply earlier than or throughout bloom. “Moving plants while they’re preparing to flower or actively blooming puts them under stress,” says Dunham. This is as a result of the plant’s vitality is directed towards producing flowers, somewhat than establishing roots.
Instead, she recommends transplanting spring-flowering vegetation after they bloom in mid-late summer time, and shifting fall bloomers within the spring.
Forgetting to Mark Plants
Once foliage dies again, it’s surprisingly straightforward to overlook what’s planted the place, says Ashford. Marking plant places can assist preserve perennials from turning into overcrowded, which might trigger them to lose their vigor and turn into extra inclined to illness.
“Perennials need space to spread their roots, so cramming them together in the fall can cause them to compete for nutrients, oxygen, and water,” says Rebecca Sears, a gardening professional at Ferry-Morse.
Instead, place placards to remind you of the place your vegetation are within the backyard. That method, when you add any new vegetation in early spring, you will know the place the opposite returning perennials are situated. You’ll additionally be capable to guarantee correct spacing between perennials.
Not Watering Enough
Remember to maintain watering your perennials, even in fall. “Cooler temperatures don’t mean that your perennials no longer need proper hydration,” says Sears. Remember, perennials are nonetheless storing vitality for winter till the bottom freezes, and subsequently have to be persistently watered till the primary frost.
Consider utilizing a drip irrigation system. This is an environment friendly method to make sure your perennials are being deeply watered each week till the bottom is frozen.
Not Considering Winter Interest
Removing each dormant perennial plant stem and seed head strips the backyard of its construction and wonder. They additionally collect snow and ice, making a winter wonderland impact in your backyard that will be missed when you trimmed again all lifeless or dormant plant matter.
Leave decorative grasses, seed heads, and sculptural stems standing. “They catch snow and frost, adding texture and light to the landscape,” says Dunham. “A snow-dusted grass plume glowing in the winter sun is a beautiful thing to see.”
Dividing Too Late
There are some perennials that you must all the time divide to maintain them flowering yr after yr. However, dividing them too near the frost doesn’t give them sufficient time to determine roots.
With dahlias, for instance, giant clumps of tubers can encourage rot. “We suggest dividing dahlias each three years or so, which generally is a fall or early-spring process,” says Ashford.
Divide or transplant 6 to eight weeks earlier than the bottom freezes in order that the roots can take maintain earlier than the frost.
