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Cutting back in fall??

14 years ago

How many of you big time growers cut your plants back in the fall? I like to do a general cleanup in the late fall, but the only time I cut the daylilies back, they all died. Of course that was many years ago when we had a lot colder weather here than we do now. In the last 3 years we have been down to zero a couple of times.

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Comments (7)

kentstar
14 years ago
I have cut them back many times and they always come back. But, then I don't cut them back all the way. I cut them back when they go brown and close to it, and even then I only cut back to about 6 inches.
shive
14 years ago
I agree. Don't cut them back any more than 6 inches. The early bloomers form their scapes in fall and they need the energy from the leaves to do that. I don't cut many of mine back. I wait until after a hard freeze and then do a little clean up of dead leaves.

Debra
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I am in the "yes" camp in answer to this question -- fall or spring, whatever suits your schedule and thevagaries of weather, time availability, etc. I have usually done late winter (not spring...) cleanup, usually about late February. I personally think it is a matter of personal taste and time availability and weather. Though I am not much of a fan of the "dead brown grass winter garden" (apologies to those out there who love it....), I DO think that the mixed or perennial border can be very lovely in November before the snows hit. So I do want to leave the border standing through that month. If December isn't too cold and I have the time I have cut back then. Most of the time not For me, the best time to cut things back is on that rare day in February when the weather warms up and it might even be sunny. A little taste of spring. Great to work out in the garden. Garden chores almost seem welcome. Main thing to remember I think is that if you have lots of bulbs in your borders, you want to get the cutback completed before they start to emerge. Not good to tromp on new bulb foliage.
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Whether to cut back in the fall or wait until spring depends on if you will get fresh growth on the clematis if you cut back in the fall, not so much which clematis you are growing. In my zone 4 I cut all my clematis back in late fall as we do not have enough warm temps after killing frosts to get fresh growth. Think back on your other perennials, do you have enough warm weather to get new growth on them? If so, clematis should probably be pruned in the late winter or early spring.
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I cut my oregano down to the ground before it flowers or just after or I get a huge outbreak of the stuff in the spring. Thyme can be cut right back and any shrubs like rosemary, hysop, sage etc. will fuller if you cut them back. Good luck Jen
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newyorkrita
14 years ago
I never cut back either. Winter takes care of it and all the leaves die back anyway. If I need to I yank any old dead leaves in the spring.
flowergirl70ks
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for the replies, I was reading about daylily culture in a WWF brochure and they said to cut back, so I was curious about what others did.
swontgirl_z5a
14 years ago
Hi,
I have just today moved a number of my DL clumps. I have never moved any in the fall before. Is is quite dry here now and even though I am watering well I think I should cut back the foliage so they aren't as stressed- just like the orders I receive in the spring. What do you think?
flowergirl70ks
Original Author
14 years ago
Well, I just finished planting a lot of new ones(to me).They were all cut back. The first ones were over 2 weeks ago and they are already rooted down good. I would cut them down a little, but of course I'm no expert.
lynxe
14 years ago
swontgirl, the reason the daylilies you receive in the spring have had their leaves cut back is because they've been shipped to you bare root. The plants would lose all or most of those leaves anyway, and as it is, because many of the roots dry up and die due to shipping, the plant can't support all those green leaves. But if you've dug up and replanted clumps with soil attached, there's no reason to cut back any leaves. Obviously, if outer leaves have died, you can, but otherwise....no.

flowergirl, I do not cut back any green on my daylilies, and that includes green scapes. I usually cut off (NOT pull off) scapes that have completely dried to brown, but I leave dead leaves to help protect the crown over the winter.

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