Before winter sets in, make sure your perennials are winterized and ready for the freeze and thaw cycle. Perennials come back every year, so it’s important that you keep them as healthy and nourished as possible through the winter season. Read on to for some tips for perennial care this winter.
How to Prep Your Perennials
- Divide and Replant
Every few years, you’ll want to divide and replant your perennials to encourage new and healthy growth. Perennials are best able to recover during cool, moist seasons, so late fall is the ideal time to do this. Dig up your clump, divide it by crowns, and then replant them. While you’re dividing, consider sharing your perennials with a few special people! It’s a terrific way to add beauty and diversity to a garden. - Cut Them Back
There are quite a few perennials in your garden that will need to be cut back. This includes peonies, daylilies, yarrow, and more. For more tips on pruning, check out this article from Joe Lamp’l, and this Done-In-A-Weekend Projects video to learn which pruning tools you may need. - Clean Up Debris
There’s debris all over the place after a year in the garden, and that needs to be taken care of before the winter. You’ll want to rake up leaves and limbs and generally clear your beds of anything that applies pressure to your plants or prevents them from soaking up the moisture they need. - Skip the Fertilizer
You can add compost but avoid the fertilizer in the fall because it encourages new growth which puts undue stress on your plants. - One Last Weeding
You want to end the year with a garden clear of weeds, so be sure to weed one more time before the big freeze. Clear anything that might attempt to strangle your plants during the winter. - To Mulch or Not?
If you live in an area with a heavy freeze/thaw cycle, mulching is essential. If you planted perennials in the fall, you’ll want to support their growth with a layer of mulch. If you’ve got tender perennials (perennials that are more sensitive to the cold temperatures), you’ll need to mulch. If you have a lot of self sowers in your garden, putting down mulch could interfere with spring germination. In that case, it’s okay to skip the mulch! Check out this article from Brian Latimer to learn all you need to know about mulching, and if you’re looking for good budget mulch ideas, you can check out this article.
Armed with these perennial care tips, you’re ready to winterize!
