Pruning My Elderberries & A Little Fall Cleanup!
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Date: 2022-07-16
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Comments and reviews: 9
Jennifer
You said cutting back butterfly bushes can open them up to winter damage. How do I know which other perennials and shrubs are susceptible to winter damage if pruned in the fall? Is there a rule of thumb or general guideline to follow? I am in zone 5. I tend to not cut anything back because I'm afraid it will stimulate the plant to put on new growth right before winter. Most landscaping companies in my area go through and whack everything down to the ground when they do fall clean-ups and blow every last leaf out of the flower beds, leaving the yard looking bare and unprotected from our northern Indiana winters.
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You said cutting back butterfly bushes can open them up to winter damage. How do I know which other perennials and shrubs are susceptible to winter damage if pruned in the fall? Is there a rule of thumb or general guideline to follow? I am in zone 5. I tend to not cut anything back because I'm afraid it will stimulate the plant to put on new growth right before winter. Most landscaping companies in my area go through and whack everything down to the ground when they do fall clean-ups and blow every last leaf out of the flower beds, leaving the yard looking bare and unprotected from our northern Indiana winters.
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bluesky7226
We had one of those devastating freezes earlier in October. It destroyed everything so I have also been cleaning up certain things here and there. I was actually enjoying your fall colour through these videos since ours was virtually non existent. But you are 100% correct about cleaning up some things in the fall. It does help with spring clean up. I tend to leave anything that has seed heads for the birds and grasses, if they haven't been smooshed, for winter interest and habitat, and finally I leave those plants that benefit from that extra protection during the winter! Thanks for all your great videos.
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We had one of those devastating freezes earlier in October. It destroyed everything so I have also been cleaning up certain things here and there. I was actually enjoying your fall colour through these videos since ours was virtually non existent. But you are 100% correct about cleaning up some things in the fall. It does help with spring clean up. I tend to leave anything that has seed heads for the birds and grasses, if they haven't been smooshed, for winter interest and habitat, and finally I leave those plants that benefit from that extra protection during the winter! Thanks for all your great videos.
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handmade
Love your videos and look forward to watching every night. Can I ask, what do you do with all your yard waste? We have a service that picks up every other week and I never have enough room for all the yard waste, so I end up having to wait sometimes weeks to get everything cleaned up. Additionally, my hydrangeas got huge this year and eventually started laying over almost touching the ground. they are very unsightly, they need to be cut back to about waste high. I know that will ruin the blooms for next year but dont think I can stand looking at them all winter. What would you do?
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Love your videos and look forward to watching every night. Can I ask, what do you do with all your yard waste? We have a service that picks up every other week and I never have enough room for all the yard waste, so I end up having to wait sometimes weeks to get everything cleaned up. Additionally, my hydrangeas got huge this year and eventually started laying over almost touching the ground. they are very unsightly, they need to be cut back to about waste high. I know that will ruin the blooms for next year but dont think I can stand looking at them all winter. What would you do?
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Sherri
I know this isn't the popular thing to say but you are missing out on providing mainly food for the birds such as waxwings, cardinals, chickadees, robins, goldfinches, & more - many die in winter due to lack of food, especially if they have been relying on your flower beds throughout the growing season for seeds, insects, and nectar. By leaving sedums (asters, coneflowers, rosehips, etc. I have found in late winter / early spring when all their food is gone they go to town on that stuff and I also get a convention of robins' that is stunning!
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I know this isn't the popular thing to say but you are missing out on providing mainly food for the birds such as waxwings, cardinals, chickadees, robins, goldfinches, & more - many die in winter due to lack of food, especially if they have been relying on your flower beds throughout the growing season for seeds, insects, and nectar. By leaving sedums (asters, coneflowers, rosehips, etc. I have found in late winter / early spring when all their food is gone they go to town on that stuff and I also get a convention of robins' that is stunning!
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Holly
I love seeing Russell in your videos, he has such great timing and seems to fit in so well like he was trained to do what he does. I like to trim back everything in my yard, like the rose bushes and all of my perennials, they just seem to do better and then I don't have to trim them in the spring, and the new growth has room to grow. I love these videos, I always learn something new to either try or think about trying. Thank you again Laura.
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I love seeing Russell in your videos, he has such great timing and seems to fit in so well like he was trained to do what he does. I like to trim back everything in my yard, like the rose bushes and all of my perennials, they just seem to do better and then I don't have to trim them in the spring, and the new growth has room to grow. I love these videos, I always learn something new to either try or think about trying. Thank you again Laura.
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Ol'
How do you dispose of the bigger elderberry branches? I garden on a fairly small lot and prefer to compost as much debris as possible, but getting rid of larger branches without owning or renting a chipper is one of my bigger headaches. I spend a lot of time converting big sticks into small sticks that take up less space in the mulch pile, so if you have a better solution I would like to hear it.
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How do you dispose of the bigger elderberry branches? I garden on a fairly small lot and prefer to compost as much debris as possible, but getting rid of larger branches without owning or renting a chipper is one of my bigger headaches. I spend a lot of time converting big sticks into small sticks that take up less space in the mulch pile, so if you have a better solution I would like to hear it.
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RayLynn
My son died last year and I stumbled on your videos during a sleepless night and have been watching ever since. You have reminded me of how much I loved gardening with my grandmother as a child. I now have a guest bedroom half full of succulents, rooting clippings and plants. It makes my brain quiet down so my husband doesn't even mind haha. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
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My son died last year and I stumbled on your videos during a sleepless night and have been watching ever since. You have reminded me of how much I loved gardening with my grandmother as a child. I now have a guest bedroom half full of succulents, rooting clippings and plants. It makes my brain quiet down so my husband doesn't even mind haha. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
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Green
Laura, I would love to see how the pink gomphrena wreath would look with some of the pink berries from the Proud Berry Coralberry added. By the way, no one does Fall or Spring cleanup exactly the way it's supposed to be done! I think the only right way is how much time and energy we have to do it! I just love your little garden supervisor Russel, he's so cute.
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Laura, I would love to see how the pink gomphrena wreath would look with some of the pink berries from the Proud Berry Coralberry added. By the way, no one does Fall or Spring cleanup exactly the way it's supposed to be done! I think the only right way is how much time and energy we have to do it! I just love your little garden supervisor Russel, he's so cute.
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Gapeys
Thanks for the tip. I still need to clean up my hosta and peonies. I've got a black lace elderberry too and it gets huge every year as well. I trimmed off a few really long branches already but will do more a little later this winter. I don't cut it back quite as much as you do though. You sound like me while I'm back here I'll just do this too. :D
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Thanks for the tip. I still need to clean up my hosta and peonies. I've got a black lace elderberry too and it gets huge every year as well. I trimmed off a few really long branches already but will do more a little later this winter. I don't cut it back quite as much as you do though. You sound like me while I'm back here I'll just do this too. :D
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