As the temperatures start to drop and the leaves turn golden, it’s time to think about giving your garden some much-needed attention.
Fall is the perfect time for pruning many plants to help them thrive in the upcoming spring season. But not all plants are created equal when it comes to pruning!
Here’s a list of 15 popular plants you should cut back this fall, along with the best time to prune them and some tips on how to do it right.
15 Popular Plants You Need to Prune This Fall for Healthier Growth
1. Hydrangeas (Bigleaf & Oakleaf)
Best Time to Prune: Late fall, after blooming.
How to Prune: For Bigleaf and Oakleaf hydrangeas, cut back dead or weak stems. Focus on removing any spent flower heads just above a pair of healthy buds. Avoid pruning too much, as next year’s blooms develop on old wood.
But, since there’re so many species of hydrangeas, it can be a bit tricky to know when and how to prune yours correctly. Because if you don’t prune them properly, you won’t have any blooms the next year!
Here’s a full guide on how to prune your hydrangeas properly.
2. Roses (Hybrid Tea & Floribunda)
Best Time to Prune: Late fall, after the first frost.
How to Prune: Cut back hybrid tea and floribunda roses by removing dead, damaged, or diseased stems. Trim down remaining stems to about half their height to prevent wind damage over winter, but save the heavy pruning for spring.
Just like hydrangeas, roses can be a bit tricky too. But you don’t need to panic, here’s a full guide on how to prune your roses properly.
3. Peonies
Best Time to Prune: After the first frost, when the leaves have yellowed.
How to Prune: Peonies should be cut back to ground level after their foliage dies off. This helps reduce the risk of disease and gives them a fresh start next year.
4. Lavender
Best Time to Prune: Early fall, right after flowering.
How to Prune: Prune lavender back by about one-third of the plant’s size, being careful not to cut into the woody stems. This will prevent it from becoming leggy and encourage bushier growth next season.
If you’re going to prune your lavender, take a look at this full guide on how and when to prune your lavender for a big bushy plants.
5. Hostas
Best Time to Prune: After the first hard frost.
How to Prune: Once hostas have been hit by frost and the leaves have died back, trim them to ground level. Removing the spent foliage will prevent pests from overwintering in your garden.
6. Daylilies
Best Time to Prune: Late fall, after blooming.
How to Prune: Daylilies are simple to prune! Just cut back the spent flower stalks and remove any dead or yellowed foliage. This keeps your garden tidy and helps daylilies focus energy on next season’s growth.
7. Coneflowers (Echinacea)
Best Time to Prune: Late fall, after seed heads form.
How to Prune: After the blooms fade, cut the flower stems down to the base of the plant. If you enjoy attracting birds, leave a few seed heads, as finches love to snack on them during the winter months.
8. Bee Balm (Monarda)
Best Time to Prune: Late fall, after flowering.
How to Prune: Bee balm should be cut back to about 2-3 inches above the ground after its flowers fade. This will help prevent mildew and encourage a healthy comeback in the spring.
9. Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia)
Best Time to Prune: After the first frost.
How to Prune: Once the blooms fade and frost hits, cut back Black-Eyed Susans to about 2 inches above the ground. This helps tidy up your garden and gives the plant a fresh start next season.
10. Phlox
Best Time to Prune: After flowering, late in the fall.
How to Prune: Cut back tall garden phlox to ground level once the blooms fade and frost hits. This reduces the risk of mildew and keeps the plant healthy for next year.
11. Hollyhocks
Best Time to Prune: After the first frost.
How to Prune: Once frost hits, cut hollyhocks down to ground level. Removing spent stalks helps prevent rust and other diseases from overwintering in your garden.
12. Astilbes
Best Time to Prune: Late fall, after the foliage dies back.
How to Prune: Trim astilbe plants to ground level once the leaves start turning brown. This encourages new, healthy growth next season.
13. Lilies
Best Time to Prune: After the foliage dies back in late fall.
How to Prune: Once the leaves have yellowed and died, cut lilies down to ground level. This helps the bulbs conserve energy for next year’s blooms.
14. Chrysanthemums (Mums)
Best Time to Prune: Early fall, after flowering.
How to Prune: After mums finish blooming, lightly prune the spent flowers to encourage fuller, bushier growth. In colder climates, mums may need a more substantial prune to protect them during winter.
If you’re planning on prunning your mums this fall, here’s a full guide on how to deadhead mums for fall blooms.
15. Clematis
Best Time to Prune: Late fall (for varieties that bloom on old wood).
How to Prune: For clematis that bloom on old wood, prune back only dead or damaged stems. For other types, you can do a more aggressive prune in fall to shape the plant for next year’s blooms.
Just like hydrangeas, clematis are a bit dramatic when it comes to pruning, and if not done properly, they won’t bloom. So, here’s a quick and easy guide on how to prune clematis.
By giving these 15 plants a little TLC this fall, you’ll set the stage for a healthy and vibrant garden come spring. Happy pruning!
