Should you really cut perennials in the fall? Our article gets to the bottom of this question in detail. You will receive valuable information about when autumn pruning is good and in which cases it is better to avoid it.
When should you cut perennials in autumn?
Pruning perennials in autumn is useful for plants that spend a lot of time during the flowering period, such as cockade flowers and hollyhocks. Cut spent perennials to about four inches above the ground to encourage new growth in spring.
Cutting perennials in autumn – when does it make sense?
Many perennials can or should even be cut in autumn so that the plants can take off with new energy in spring. In addition, by pruning in autumn you avoid a messy looking garden in winter.
Pruning in autumn is highly recommended, especially for perennials that exert a lot of effort during their flowering period. Cockade flowers and hollyhocks are examples of corresponding plants. By pruning in autumn you can extend the lifespan of such perennials.
There is another significant advantage of autumn pruning: the stems are still taut, so the plants can be easily worked on. Over the winter, perennials often become soft and mushy, making cutting in spring more difficult.
Don't forget that with an autumn cut there is no problem with the new growth, which of course has no interest in coming into contact with the secateurs.
Pruning recommendations
Cut spent perennials to about ten centimeters above the ground. Be careful not to cut off the newly formed overwintering buds. The plants want to grow out of these again in the new season.
- Use secateurs (€14.00 on Amazon) or a special perennial sickle to cut the perennials. The latter cuts many stalks at once. If you are dealing with robust ground cover plants, you can also use pole hedge trimmers and use them as a scythe. To do this, simply angle the cutting head.
- Use only really sharp tools to ensure that you cut the perennials correctly and not crush them.
- When cutting roses, the scissors must be completely clean and disinfected to prevent the transmission of pathogens.
- Clean your tools after trimming the perennials so that the plant juices do not dry on them.
Which perennials reject autumn pruning
Evergreen perennials such as candytufts or golden strawberries should only be cut back in the fall if they are overgrown. Otherwise, it is better to leave them alone (except for diseased parts of the plant, which you always have to remove to prevent disease). This is how you counteract bare-looking beds.
Some perennials enrich the garden in winter with their attractive fruit and seed heads, for example the stonecrop, the yarrow or the lantern flower. In addition, the dried seed heads are an important source of food for birds in the cool season and a practical quarter for beneficial insects.
Note: Uncut perennials are better protected from frost and cold. This means that you should generally only cut frost-sensitive perennials in spring.