Perennials
We moved to our present house some 2 years ago and from a garden the size of
a postage stamp to one which takes up about half an acre - . I am having a wonderful time gardening but there is an awful lot I don't know. My particular problem at the moment is what to do with all the perennials. Last year I didn't cut the dead growth back until the spring - in the belief that I was protecting the new shoots from winter frosts and snow. It does mean however that the garden looks very untidy throughout the winter and I realise that I am possibly providing ideal conditions for slugs to hide. So when is the correct time to cut everything back? Jeanne Stockdale |
Perennials
" Jeanne Stockdale" wrote in message ... We moved to our present house some 2 years ago and from a garden the size of a postage stamp to one which takes up about half an acre - . I am having a wonderful time gardening but there is an awful lot I don't know. My particular problem at the moment is what to do with all the perennials. Last year I didn't cut the dead growth back until the spring - in the belief that I was protecting the new shoots from winter frosts and snow. It does mean however that the garden looks very untidy throughout the winter and I realise that I am possibly providing ideal conditions for slugs to hide. So when is the correct time to cut everything back? Jeanne Stockdale Either cut back sometime soon when things start to look tatty OR fold the dead foliage over the crown of the plant to protect it from the worst of the weather. It will also provide a refuge for insects etc. You can then remove it in spring when stuff start to grow again. Jenny |
Perennials
On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 08:08:57 +0000 (UTC), Jeanne Stockdale
wrote: We moved to our present house some 2 years ago and from a garden the size of a postage stamp to one which takes up about half an acre - . I am having a wonderful time gardening but there is an awful lot I don't know. My particular problem at the moment is what to do with all the perennials. Last year I didn't cut the dead growth back until the spring - in the belief that I was protecting the new shoots from winter frosts and snow. It does mean however that the garden looks very untidy throughout the winter and I realise that I am possibly providing ideal conditions for slugs to hide. So when is the correct time to cut everything back? When you think about it and have the time and energy to act on your thoughts. Generally speaking, the word "perennials" is preceded by the word "hardy", so you can hack away with abandon during the fall and let the hackings compost during the winter. *Some* perennials are on the tender side and need a degree of protection, but I think that's better done with a mulch of dry leaves, say, than their own top growth. -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada change "invalid" to "net" to respond |
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