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Did I make a mistake?
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Posted by nmarieke 6 (My Page) on Sun, Nov 15, 09 at 20:47
| Upon the advice on a friend, I cut back my nepeta and coreopsis moonbeam to the ground (the nepeta to right above it's little buds right near the ground). This is my first year with these plants and they grew beautifully through September.
Now that I have been doing reading on this site it seems as if people just cut back thier coreopsis after it blooms the first time then just leave it, and shear off thier nepeta in a mound shape, but not to the ground! I want these plants to come back robustly next year, have I done them in?! Be gentle, I am a newbie!!! What do others do? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Did I make a mistake?
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I think you'll be OK. There are certain plants that are best pruned at certain times and certain ways, for example Clematis, some hydrangea, forsythia, azalea and more -- becoz it affects whether they will bloom next season. The spring flowering shrubs I find easy to handle, just prune after they bloom. The clematis I have to read about each year to remember!
For most perennials and herbs, you can "deadhead" or cut off the spent blooms all season. Sometimes you want to leave the spent flowers for seed collection, for birds to feed on, or for winter interest. Herbs are meant to be cut and used.
What I usually do is to deadhead during the bloom season, and then leave the bulk of the plant to overwinter. I think it helps keep it from freezing at the crown and root. If it looks really ratty or mushy I cut it off. But if not I just cut it back in springtime.
I also mulch everything really well. |
RE: Did I make a mistake?
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| In my zone 6 garden, I leave the tops on all perennials until they start peeping through in the spring. They act as a mulch and protect them from heaving during winter months. My nepeta Walker's Low is still just as green as it was in the spring. Frost hasn't affected it at all. I did cut it back in late summer to get a slight rebloom. glenda |
RE: Did I make a mistake?
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| You will be fine but do mulch the plants. Removing the tops does not affect the way these plants will grow back in the spring and besides these tops are dead or will be dead by mid winter. What it does is however is to expose it's centres to the freeze and thaws of winter. It's this vicious cycle that kills the plants. The aim is to protect it's centre and it's roots and by keeping the temperature steady you protect the plants. So the remedy is to provide mulch or insulate them. |
RE: Did I make a mistake?
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| I cut both back to the ground every year and they are as vigorous as can be in the spring. They do not need special treatment and are hardy in my zone 5 so do not worry about the centers freezing. The roots will freeze solid regardless of whether they are cut back or not, the top growth will not protect them. |
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