Fall cleanup ramblings

15 years ago

How many of you wait till spring to clear off all flower and hosta beds? The reason I'm asking is that a hard killing frost seems to be coming later and later each year here in NW IL. I think my problem is because my backyard garden has become more sheltered over the years. Also the weather with fall rain is not helping. The hosta beds don't bother me as much as all the stalks from other plants. Getting things cleared off now gives me a jump start in the spring when I just have to clear blown in debre. It also could be me slowing down. LOL

We have all leaves picked up and under a huge tarp in the vegetable garden but are waitin for things to dry up a little before we mulch for the last time. When we start it will take most of the day to finish. We can hardly get out of bed the next day from so much bending over.

Having a smaller yard, only 3/4 acre, you have no where to put the stuff you remove. We are still allowed to burn in the fall but who knows how much longer we can do that.

Connie

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Comments (6)

jel48
15 years ago
I generally wait until spring, because the dried plants provide cover and food for small animals and birds. Although, hmm.... now that I think of it, it's kind of inconsistant wishing to be rid of small animals that eat my plants in the summer time, then trying to provide shelter for them in the winter!!! But I want to provide for the birds all year round, so I guess that's ok :-)
hosta_freak
15 years ago
I don't clean up in the fall,because I live in a wooded area,and you wouldn't believe the ammount of leaves I get each year! In spring,all I usually do is rake the leaves from the paths in my woodland garden,and leave the rest where the hostas grow. Right now,there are many oak trees that still have most of their leaves to fall,so,it's only going to get worse before it gets better! I blow off the driveway several times before the leaf fall is over,then just settle in for winter. This is coming into the area of TMI,so I'll close for now. Phil
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I cut back my type 3 clems in the fall, usually in November after a killing frost. Some years, like this one, before the killing frost but with frost expected and late enough to know that they will not start new growth until spring. Also treat most of my type 2s as 3s and cut them back at the same time. Edited to add: I use my aluminium hedge shears all during the gardening season. They are wonderful for cutting back, pruning, and for chopping up things for the compost pile. Put plant cuttings into the wheelbarrow or a 5-gal pail and snip, snip then into the compost pile they go. Sometimes I throw a cuttings onto the compost pile and snip them there. This post was edited by mnwsgal on Mon, Nov 17, 14 at 21:11
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I always remove all hosta and tree leaves in fall, because any fungus and virus should not overwinter in my garden, plus I do not want to leave an easy cover for moles to run around under and look for hosta corms to eat next. Another advantage is to have a clean garden with much less work in spring. In my garden in upstate NY there seems to be much more time in fall than in spring for cleanup. Here in spring the spring flowers come up somehow right after the last snow is gone and leave little time to rake up leaves. I never cut off hosta leaves or run the mower over it because that would spread any hidden disease. I notice that hosta leaves are ready for removal in fall when you can pull them off, some need a stronger pull. I have around 400 hostas, no problem to pull off leaves.
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This looks like a good article on it. They say to cut it down to a few inches in fall. Goatsbeard, Aruncus dioicus I bought one in 2019. I didn't cut it down in fall, but just left it as is. I did mulch. It made it through the winter and the terrible late frost we had this spring. I think it is a nice plant and goes well with hosta. I had wanted to purchase it a few years ago. I heard slugs like this plant. When I went to a nursery and found the plants, I picked the pots up to inspect and found slugs on the bottom! Hence, I didn't buy it and changed my mind! Then last year I found it again at a good price and took a chance on it. So far I haven't had a slug problem with it. Every time I look at it, I have to say "you're so cute!"
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butch_ragland
15 years ago
Check the tree article just posted on the other side, don't clean up the food the plants need. Or, don't remove it, maybe chop it up but leave it.
mctavish6
15 years ago
I usually don't clean up much in the fall because I'm lazy. I also enjoy any excuse to be outside in the spring and cleaning off the beds before much of anything else can be done is a good one. I have started getting the only leaves we really have - walnut - off the pathways and driveway. They are slippery and nasty in the spring.

Here is is the 15 of November and I haven't put most of my hostas in the garage yet. The weather hasn't frozen enough to get them dry and I don't want to put them away wet. I may get some of that done this weekend.
just1morehosta
15 years ago
No raking for me this year,being sick for a couple of weeks, and now hubby is down,i have not even gotton my potted hosta put away,(Denny)
It will be another week or two before we can get to them,family coming over for the holiday,yeaaaaaaaaa
I have so many leaves on the ground it's not funny,i always rake them, then mow over them for a nice fluffy mulch,darn getting sick and all.
The yard does not even look nice,boo whoo. :0(
Oh well, spring is coming,right.
Carol
hostasformez4
Original Author
15 years ago
It's 30 degrees, windy and some snow showers and my neighbors are out with their leaf pickerupper! You won't catch me out in this kind of weather. Once my hands get cold they ache until I come inside.

Unless we get a warmer spell everything will have to wait till spring here too.

I enjoyed reading your responces. Thanks for adding your thoughts.

Carol, hope you both get well before long. I read about your back, bummer.

I guess I didn't think about aging when I started all this garden work years ago! Everything we changed was such an improvement to the garden. Fifteen years later and it has taken a toll on me, especially this past year. I think I get slower by the minute. Upkeep is about all I did this year and not a good job at that. LOL

Happy Thanksgiving to all my great Hosta Friends. It's just 10 days away!

Connie

Fall cleanup ramblings

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jel48

hosta_freak

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Fall cleanup ramblings

Comments (6)

jel48

hosta_freak

Related Discussions

butch_ragland

mctavish6

just1morehosta

hostasformez4Original Author

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