Welcome to the Garden Ninja Gardening Forum! If you have a gardening question that you can't find answers to then ask below to seek help from the Garden Ninja army! Please make your garden questions as specific and detailed as possible so the community can provide comprehensive answers in the online forum below.

Welcome to the ultimate beginner gardening and garden design forum! Where no gardening question is too silly or obvious. This online gardening forum is run by Lee Burkhill, the Garden Ninja from BBC 1's Garden Rescue and a trusted group of experienced gardeners.

Whether you are a beginner or an expert gardener, it's a safe place to ask garden-related questions for garden design or planting. If you have a problem in your garden or need help, this is the Garden Forum for you!

Posting Rules: This space is open for all garden-related questions. Please be polite, courteous and respectful. If you wouldn't say it to your mum's face, then don't post it here. Please don't promote, sell, link spam or advertise here. Please don't ask for 'cheeky' full Garden redesigns here. They will be deleted.

If you need a garden design service, please use this page to book a design consultation. I will block anyone who breaks these rules or is discourteous to the Garden Ninja Community.

Join the forum below with your gardening questions!

Ask a Gardening QuestionGardening Questions & Answers: How to garden questionsCutting back and leaves in the ga …

Please or Register to create posts and topics.

Cutting back and leaves in the garden: should I leave herbaceous perennials over winter before pruning back?

#1 · 29th September 2022, 8:42 am

Hello everyone,

I recently saw a video that suggested not cutting back plants/flowers and to leave them as home for the bugs over winter. I wondered what your thoughts were on this, is it best to leave them until around March and then tidy up or do it now/in the coming weeks?
I also have a pond and I’m not sure when I should cut the iris and cattails back, do it early or late winter, the pond does have fish but also frogs and I’ve seen a few dragon flies down there.

Also what are your views on fallen leaves, I’ve read they are good mulch for plants but I’ve also read they encourage lots of slugs and snails who will eat everything next spring. So should I get them up or leave them?
Many thanks in advance,

Christie

#2 · 29th September 2022, 12:33 pm

Hi Christie,

Cutting back plants, some folks cut back others leave the flower heads on for the architectural look, plus there may be some seed left for the birds. I leave my fuchsia plants alone and cut back when I see new growth in the spring, the same for Hydrangeas, other perennials I cut back.

You can tidy up your pond plants after the flowering period, remove the Iris stems and seed pods, unless you want them to seed, you can remove any damaged leaves during the season, or trim it up to keep it tidy, and once the first frost has hit the plant, trim the leaves down to about 4 inches, cattails can look good covered in frost if left but anything that is broken I would remove, don’t leave it in the pond.

Fallen leaves, there are a few trees (not mine) at the front of my home, their leaves always end up by my front door, these go into the garden waste bin, the leaves from the trees in my back garden stay where they fall, leaf - mold is good for the garden, I sort the slugs and snails out next season, sometimes the gardener needs a winter break 🙂

Happy Gardening

Bob

christie has reacted to this post.

#3 · 1st October 2022, 8:59 am

Thanks so much Bob.