10/26/2026
🍂 LANDSCAPE TIP OF THE WEEK
Fall Cutback — 10 Perennials to Cut Back Before Winter
Over the years, I’ve learned that fall cleanup isn’t necessarily about cutting everything down to the ground.
In fact, I prefer leaving many perennials and ornamental grasses standing through winter. But there are some plants that benefit from a little attention before the cold weather settles in.
Here are 10 perennials worth considering for a fall cutback here in Western Pennsylvania:
1. Peonies – Cut foliage to the ground after frost to help reduce the chance of disease carrying over.
2. Bearded Iris – Remove declining or diseased foliage to help reduce problems with rot and iris borers.
3. Hostas – Remove collapsed foliage after a hard frost, especially where slugs have been a problem.
4. Daylilies – Clean up dead, yellowing foliage once the plants go dormant.
5. Garden Phlox – Cut back stems affected by powdery mildew and remove infected debris.
6. Bee Balm (Monarda) – Remove diseased stems and foliage, particularly if mildew was an issue.
7. Delphiniums – Remove spent and deteriorating stems after the growing season.
8. Oriental Poppies – Remove dead or deteriorating foliage after dormancy, leaving healthy new basal growth alone.
9. Bleeding Hearts – Cut back foliage once it has naturally yellowed and died down.
10. Herbaceous Salvias – Remove dead or diseased growth after dormancy; leave healthy stems where winter protection is beneficial.
One thing I always remind homeowners: Just because a perennial turns brown doesn’t mean it needs to be cut back immediately.
Plants like coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, sedum and ornamental grasses can add winter interest and provide valuable habitat for wildlife.
The goal isn’t to make every planting bed look perfectly clean. It’s to know which plants benefit from cleanup and which are better left alone.
Good landscape maintenance is about understanding the plants, not just following the calendar.
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