Nadia Okafor
How to prepare your landscape for winter
There is a right way and a wrong way to prep your landscape for winter. Most homeowners either do too little or cut everything back too aggressively. Here is what actually needs to happen before the first hard frost.
Late fall is when we get a lot of questions from homeowners about what to cut back, what to leave, and what needs to be done before winter sets in. The honest answer is that winter prep for most residential landscapes is simpler than people think, and the most common mistake is cutting too much back too aggressively.
Here is what actually needs to happen before hard frost in the Philadelphia area.
Perennials can be cut back, but you do not have to do it in fall. Many perennials are better left standing over winter. The dead stems provide structure, habitat for beneficial insects, and some insulation for the crown. If you like a cleaner look, cut them back to about four to six inches. If you do not mind the texture of dead stems, leave them and cut back in early spring before new growth emerges.
Ornamental grasses should generally be left standing through winter. The foliage provides winter interest and protects the crown from cold. Cut them back in late February or early March before new growth starts, leaving about four to six inches of stem.
Shrubs should not be pruned in fall. Pruning stimulates new growth, and new growth that emerges in fall will be killed by frost. Fall pruning also removes the protection that the shrub's natural form provides to its interior branches during winter. If you need to prune shrubs, do it in late winter for spring bloomers after they bloom, or in early spring for summer bloomers.
Mulching in fall is worthwhile for newly planted perennials, trees, and shrubs. A two to three inch layer of mulch applied after the ground has cooled but before hard frost helps insulate roots and moderate soil temperature swings through winter. Do not apply it too early or you trap heat in the soil and delay dormancy.
Finally, clean up fallen leaves and debris from beds and lawn areas. Matted organic material over winter harbors fungal disease and smothers turf and perennial crowns. A clean site going into winter means less work in spring and healthier plants coming out of dormancy.
