Autumn Gardening: The To Do’s
It’s not just the spring when the landscape needs a sort of tidying up, it’s the autumn as well. In the autumn, the gardens needs a tucking in for their winter nap, and taking care of a few things will make the spring cleaning of the landscape easier.
With perennial care in the fall, most herbaceous plants expire blooms and leave to go dormant and to help aid in new growth, the dead growth must be cut back. Oftentimes it is easier to do in the fall when it has not rotted back with snow and ice. In this list it’s easier to list what NOT to cut back as far as perennials go. Also, there are certain perennials that can be left up for the sake of winter interest.
The DO NOT CUT Perennials: *Flower stalks can be cut down in the autumn
Hellebores
Heuchera *
Tiarella *
Low Grow Sedums
Mountain Rock Cress
Sea Thrift *
Basket of Gold *
Evergreen Candy Tuft
Bergenia
Pulmonaira
Yucca *
Liriope
Montauk Daisy
Christmas Fern
Winter Interest Perennials, Ornamental Grasses, and Flowering Shrubs (Do not cut flower heads for this reason)
Winter interest is a term used for keeping up perennials that otherwise would be cut back in the fall and in that would provide an aesthetic all season garden amongst the white of the snow.
Echinacea
Rudbeckia
Hydrangeas (All types)
All grasses! When it comes to Miscanthus it might be best to stake up to prevent snow damage and to keep it looking fresh.
Lady’s Mantle (Lady’s mantle is a tricky one, I usually save it to cut back in the spring cause its stays green long into the cold November and December months)
Butterfly Weed
Joe Pye Weed
Yarrow
Sea Holly
Bee Balm
Plus the list above of Evergreen Perennials that are not ever cut back
To Leave or Not Leave
A question for the ages right? Yes, ecological leaves are amazing for the environment especially for insects, animals, and organic matter for the landscape. Yet every year we sweep leaves off the lawn. Why? Well, it’s all preference. Leaves left on a lawn that is used for daily activities and aesthetics can create dead spots. The grass in typical American lawns is a mix of fine fescues, rye, and bluegrass that work great for consisent mowing, heavy foot traffic, and well looks.
These grasses are not normally found in a forest like system where they can grow up out of the leaf matter, cause full leaves that are not shredded will suffocate their growth. Grasses found in the woods are a Carex variety, which grow taller and are more evergreen then the lawn variety. Often times you can mow over leaves and let them be on the lawn unless there is so much that it covers the grass. If that’s the case, then it should be removed if you want to keep that area of turf. If you are worried about the ecological damage you may be doing to your yard, you can keep a section of it that you let go with leaves or if you have a wood line, bring all of the leaves from the yard into there. You are still providing ecological support and keeping a section for yourself to enjoy!
What about leaves in the gardens? Well, again its about preference and disease management. We had a wet season. Only four weekends this spring and summer without rain! All this rain harbors fungus, mold, and pathological disease to our beloved perennials and shrubs. Lilacs took a major hit this year and looked worse for wear with hardly any blooms. It’s because gray mold and powdery mildew were rampant and it affected their growth. All this without the aid of the sun’s light affected blooms as well. I had to cut back many Bee Balms and Phlox in midsummer due to the amount of powdery mildew defoliating them.
Now, this is where leaf cleanup is important. Since it was a wet season, diseases like Powdery Mildew, Anthracnose (a fungal infection that creates tan/brown leaf spots and blotches, stem cankers, and shoot blights) Blight (rapid death of flowers, leaves, and shoots) and Rust (host specific fungal disease of living foliage, branches, stems, and fruit. It has a life cycle and produces spores that can be found in leaf litter) were seen on plants. Most of these diseases have a life cycle and will live on leaf litter. Sanitation of area means to clean up all the leaves from these plants so it will not be infected again. I find cleaning up gardens from leaves is the most beneficial in the autumn for this reason. Do not use these leaves in a composting area if your plants were infected with these diseases, just throw it away. A fresh dressing of compost and finely shredded mulch in the spring will provide the added nutrients your garden will need without the infected leaf material.
Dormant Pruning
Dormant Pruning is done from November to mid April. Dormant pruning is usually done on certain ornamental shrubs, ornamental trees, and fruit trees to provide better flowering, fruit production, and keeping the size of the shrub in check. It is always done on deciduous plants and never on conifers.
November:
Roses
Dogwoods (November to April)
Vibrunums (November to April)
Hydrangea (panicle and smooth leaf like Annabelle)
Ornamental Trees like Kousa Dogwoods, Stewartia, etc. (November to April)
December to April:
Fruit Trees
Bulbs!
It is best to plant Bulbs when the temperature stays a consistent 40 degrees Fahrenheit every night. For this reason, I usually wait till November to plant my spring blooming bulbs such as Snowdrops, Crocus, Daffodils, Tulips, Spanish Bluebells, Frittalaria, Aconite, Allium, Scilla, Muscari, and Hyacinth. To plant these bulbs, please follow the instructions on the label for depth of the hole you are digging and how to space apart. For good measure to protect against little critters that like to dig them up, I dig a little extra and put 3/4 to 3/8 crushed stone around and below the planting hole, then add a dressing of soil for the bulb to rest in. Use Bulbtone* for fertilizing and follow those instructions for the best results.
For summer blooming bulbs that were planted in May, those should be dug up, cleaned up, and put away for future use. Bulbs like Dahlias, Canna Lillies, Calla Lillies, and Gladiolas should be removed from the garden, cleaned up (brushing soil off it, if wet soil, wash off and then dry) wrapped up in newspaper placed in a paper bag or put bulbs in a crate of sawdust. Put them away in a cool dry spot for the winter.
Tool Care
Many of you are gonna stop using your pruners, saws, rakes, hoes, shovels, and small power equipment for the winter. Cleaning up tools and winterizing them will aid in less chores to do in the spring. Also, it will make your tools last longer! Pruners and loppers should be sharpened, oiled up, and cleaned up. Put in a dry section of tool shed. Shovels should be cleaned up with some WD 40 and a metal scrubber, wiped down, and put away. Organize the garden shed or the section of garage or basement you keep your tools in. Make sure any potting soil is wrapped up tight, all empty pots are clean, and everything has a place. It will make it easier in the spring when you are excited to get out in the garden again!
Small power equipment that uses gas or two cycle, either empty it out and bring to your local garage to dispose of old fuel or put fuel stabilizer in them. Follow the instructions for the specific care of your equipment!
Winterizing
Now that everything is all cleaned and taken care of, enjoy the winter months with a hot beverage and start planning for the spring!
