Pruning plants at the right time will encourage new growth and increased flowering, and can also reduce common plant diseases such as powdery mildew. However, pruning plants at the wrong time of year can actually prevent flowering and cause other problems. When cleaning up your garden in the fall, leaving some perennials and shrubs intact will help keep these plants thriving for years to come. The following plants should not be pruned in the fall.
1. Rhododendrons and Azaleas
Azaleas and rhododendrons belong to the same plant family and their maintenance requirements are consequently similar. Since these plants bloom on old wood, pruning azaleas and rhododendrons in the fall to remove their flower buds will prevent the plants from blooming the following spring. To avoid this, prune only azaleas and rhododendrons in late spring to early summer, no more than three weeks after the plants bloom.
2. Lilacs
Pruning is an essential task if you have lilac bushes (Syringa spp.) in your garden, as these plants can grow uncontrollably over 30 feet tall if not pruned periodically. However, like rhododendrons, lilacs only bloom on old wood, and pruning plants late in the season will remove the plant's flower buds and reduce flowering intensity. Instead of fall pruning, lilac bushes should be pruned immediately after they finish blooming in late spring to early summer.
3. Forsythia
Like lilacs, forsythia bushes are fast-growing plants that can quickly crowd garden beds if not pruned every year or two. However, these plants only bloom on old wood, and if you cut the forsythia in the fall, you run the risk of removing the plant's flower buds. To avoid this, prune forsythia bushes in the spring only after the flowers have faded, and never cut more than one-third of the forsythia branches at once.
4. Globe thistle
Like coneflowers, globe thistle (Echinops retro) plants produce seed-filled flower heads. During the winter, these seeds provide food for goldfish and other birds, and they help wildlife survive when other food sources are scarce. What's more, dried globe thistle flowers remain upright throughout the winter months, adding texture to flower beds even when there is snow on the ground.
5. Some Hydrangeas
Pruning hydrangeas can be a bit confusing because there are so many different varieties in this plant group. Cold hardy hydrangea varieties that bloom on new wood can be pruned successfully in fall. However, other hydrangeas such as oakleaf, bigleaf, mountain and climbing hydrangeas bloom on old wood and should only be pruned in the spring or summer after the plant blooms.
6. Mock Orange
False oranges (Philadelphus spp.) are famous for their highly fragrant flowers and are often grown in cottage gardens, where they combine beautifully with forsythia, viburnum and lilacs. Low-maintenance and easy to care for, mock oranges don't need a lot of fuss, but they're another plant that shouldn't be cut back in the fall. Like some of the other plants on this list, oranges only bloom on older wood and pruning late in the season will reduce the plant's flower buds, reducing the amount of blooms.
7. Coral beads
Coral beads (Heuchera) bring colorful foliage to borders, and send out clusters of flowers in spring and summer. Although you should deadhead spent flowers to encourage more blooms, leaves should not be heavily pruned in the fall, as they help protect the plant's crown over winter. It is better to wait until spring to prune the plant if necessary, and remove dead parts during the winter.
8. Milkweed
Before you take the eggplants for milkweed (asclepias) in the fall, think of the butterflies! As a native perennial, the plant's leaves and flowers help support birds, bees, and butterflies (its foliage is an important food source for monarch caterpillars). In the fall, positioning your milkweed provides shelter for pollinators that build nests in the hollow stems.
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