The fall in the landscape is marked by leaf clean-ups and perennial cut-backs. Both actions result in clean, crisp-looking sites. That’s assuming everything goes well.
Perennial cut-back
We cut-back all spent perennials once they fade and they are fading fast now in late October. The rules are simple. Flush cut the foliage down to the ground and clean-up the area. Then wait for the new season to arrive.
Let’s take a look at some examples. One is Echinacea purpurea. Simply cut back the spent flower stalks. Also, cut back the leaves if they aren’t green.
Sedum flower spikes can go, too.
Do not overdo it
So far we’ve covered some common perennials we should cut back in the fall. But let’s stop and think when we hit our landscapes with snips in hand. We’re not robots so let’s stop and think about our plants.
Ferns
I love ferns. They don’t have any showy flowers but they make up for it with beautiful green foliage. I have two Athyrium japonicum ferns on my patio and love them.
One of our West Coast native ferns is Polystichum munitum. What’s wrong with them? Absolutely nothing. I think they look fine.
Abused ferns
Oh my, this is what happens when you get carried away with perennial cutback. These are different specimens of the same native sword fern species (Polystichum munitum). Except they have been cutback for no reason.
Mistake number one. They won’t push out any new growth until spring so we have this to look at all winter. Somehow this doesn’t inspire me. I love to see the classic green fern foliage.
Mistake number two. The neighbouring Ligularias were left untouched and they will fade fast. Much faster than the ferns. We can, therefore, dismiss the excuse that there won’t be time to come back to this area.
Conclusion
If you’re aiming for a neat looking garden then definitely cut back your perennials. I would humbly advise against flush cutting green native ferns in late October. Wait for next season when they push out new fresh fronds.
