This week, a question about perennials.
Q: When can I clean up my perennial bed? It looks tired, and I want to cut everything back. It looks unsightly right now.
A: The best time to trim back most perennials in our area is in early February, around the time one typically gives roses their hard haircut for the year.
The reason for this is simple – in our area, we can easily stay warm for extended periods during the winter, and we don’t want to start a surge of new growth after pruning that would be burned back whenever we do get a hard freeze, injuring the plants and wasting their resources.
That being said, if you have a perennial bed that’s bugging you and want to prune it, chances are you’ll be OK. Mulch the beds well after a hard trimming, and water the beds the day before any extended freezing weather.
But it’s best to wait, unless you just can’t stand looking at the bed right now.