CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — As fall approaches, gardeners are often tempted to trim back their plants for winter. However, experts suggest that leaving perennials standing can offer numerous benefits for insects, birds, and soil.
“Leaving behind that plant residue, the stems and the leaves and those kinds of things, give many of our native insects a place to overwinter or protect them in their overwintering space, should it be just under the soil,” Aaron Steil, Consumer Horticulture Extension Specialist for Iowa State University said.
The leftover plant materials not only provides shelter for beneficial insects, but also offers food for wildlife, such as birds, through the seed heads.
Additionally, the fallen debris acts as a natural mulch, providing an extra layer of protection for the crown and root system of the perennial.
“Most of our perennials are pretty winter-hardy, but it doesn’t hurt to have a little extra blanket. Having that blanket of foliage and debris on the soil can help kind of moderate temperature changes in the soil, which keeps that freeze-thaw cycle from heaving root systems or crowns up out of the ground, which can cause the perennials to die back,” Steil explained.
Common perennials found in Iowa gardens include coneflowers, daylilies, hostas, or black-eyed susans.
Gardeners are advised to remove only perennials that showed signs of disease or pest problems during the summer, to prevent issues from spreading next season.
“But we can leave everything else behind, that can be beneficial and a lot less work, right,” Steil said. “We’re not cleaning up the entire garden, we’re just going in and editing out those things that could potentially cause big problems for us in the spring.”
To read more tips about fall gardening tasks, click HERE.
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