As fall arrives in the Berkshires, it’s natural to start cleaning up garden beds and preparing the landscape for colder weather. But before cutting every perennial to the ground, take a closer look. Some plants benefit from fall cleanup, while others are better left standing through winter.
Leaving selected stems and seed heads can provide food and shelter for birds and beneficial insects while adding texture and interest to the winter landscape.
What Should You Cut Back in Fall?
Fall is a good time to remove plant material that is diseased, damaged, or unlikely to provide much benefit through winter.
Consider removing:
- Diseased or heavily spotted foliage
- Plants affected by fungal problems
- Broken, damaged, or rotting stems
- Soft or collapsed plant material
- Spent annuals
- Weeds before they set seed
Removing unhealthy material can also help reduce the chance of certain garden problems carrying over into spring.
What Should You Leave Standing?
Healthy perennials with sturdy stems or seed heads can often remain in the garden through winter.
Good candidates include:
- Coneflowers
- Black-Eyed Susans
- Asters
- Goldenrod
- Sedum
- Ornamental grasses
These plants can continue contributing to the landscape even after their flowers have faded.
Leave Seed Heads for the Birds
Those dried flower heads may not look as colorful as they did in summer, but they can still serve an important purpose.
Seed heads from plants such as coneflowers and Black-Eyed Susans can provide food for seed-eating birds. Leaving them in place gives birds another natural food source during the colder months.
They can also add beautiful winter interest when touched by frost or snow.
Give Beneficial Insects a Place to Stay
Some beneficial insects use hollow or pithy plant stems as nesting or overwintering sites.
Instead of cutting every healthy stem to the ground this fall, consider leaving some standing until spring. A slightly less tidy garden can provide valuable habitat when many other natural hiding places are disappearing.
Let Ornamental Grasses Stand
Ornamental grasses are especially beautiful during a Massachusetts winter.
Their dried foliage and seed heads provide height, texture, and movement in the landscape. Rather than cutting them back in fall, consider leaving them standing until late winter or early spring.
Don’t Be Too Quick to Clean Everything Up
Fall garden cleanup doesn’t need to mean removing every leaf, stem, and seed head.
Focus on removing diseased or unhealthy material while allowing some healthy plant material to remain. You can keep highly visible areas tidy while leaving other sections of the garden a little more natural for wildlife.
Finish the Job in Spring
What you don’t cut back now can be tackled in late winter or early spring.
Once temperatures begin warming and new growth approaches, you can remove remaining old foliage and stems to make room for another growing season.
This approach spreads out your garden chores while allowing your landscape to provide winter interest and habitat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I cut all my perennials back in fall?
No. Many healthy perennials can remain standing through winter, particularly plants with sturdy stems or seed heads that provide winter interest and wildlife benefits.
Which perennials should I leave standing?
Coneflowers, Black-Eyed Susans, asters, goldenrod, sedum, and ornamental grasses are all good candidates.
Should I remove diseased foliage?
Yes. Diseased or heavily damaged plant material is generally better removed rather than left in the garden over winter.
Why leave perennial stems standing?
Some beneficial insects can use hollow or pithy stems as nesting or overwintering sites.
When should I cut back the remaining perennials?
Late winter or early spring is a good time to finish cutting back many perennials before fresh growth begins.
Visit Whitney’s Farm Market & Garden Center
Fall is a great time to tidy the garden, evaluate what worked this year, and start thinking about next season. Stop by Whitney’s Farm Market & Garden Center for plants, gardening supplies, and inspiration for your fall garden.
Whitney’s Farm Market & Garden Center
1775 S. State Rd. – Rt. 8
Cheshire, MA 01225
Open Daily
9 AM to 6 PM
