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Fall Pruning Do’s & Don’ts

As summer fades and fall settles in, many homeowners start thinking about yard cleanups and pruning. While fall is a great time for certain landscape tasks, pruning isn’t always one of them. Cutting the wrong plants at the wrong time can mean stressed plants, fewer blooms, or winter damage.

Here’s a simple, homeowner-friendly guide to what you should and should not prune in the fall, straight from our landscaping playbook.

Do NOT Prune These Plants in Fall

Spring- & Summer-Blooming Shrubs

These plants have already formed their buds for next year. Pruning now risks removing next season’s flowers.

Avoid fall pruning on:

  • Lilacs

  • Azaleas

  • Rhododendrons

  • Forsythia

  • Camellia

  • Most hydrangeas*

So when should you prune these? Right after they finish blooming is the ideal time, as they will soon develop buds for the next year, and you want to re-size and re-shape before the new buds develop. The timing varies depending on the plant.

*Fall is not the time for re-sizing or shaping Hydrangeas, however, many people do like to deadhead and dry the blooms for indoor decor. Make sure to cut just above a set of buds (and do not remove more stem than necessary) if you do this. 

Evergreen Shrubs

Evergreens are preparing for dormancy in fall. Pruning stimulates new growth that can be easily damaged by cold temperatures.

Do not prune in fall:

  • Boxwoods

  • Japanese Holly

  • American Holly

  • Cherry Laurels

  • Skip Laurels

Think of it this way: they’re getting ready for a winter nap — don’t put them back to work!

This is an example of winter burn on a boxwood.

Tall Ornamental Grasses

Fall is arguably when these ornamental grasses look their best.

Why leave them?

  • They add winter interest to your landscape; soft texture when everything else is bare. They also look and sound nice in the wind.

  • They provide shelter for wildlife during colder months.

Cut them back in early spring instead.

Plants with Decorative Seedheads

While we’re on the topic of winter interest, some perennials also earn their keep well into winter.

Leave these standing:

  • Coneflower (Echinacea)

  • Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)

  • Upright Sedum

Why?

  • You’re helping wildlife. Seeds provide food for birds. Stems offer shelter for beneficial insects.

  • The stems and seedheads provide structural interest. If you’d rather look at a bare dirt patch all winter, to each their own.

What You SHOULD Cut Back in Fall

Dormant Foliage

These plants simply will not hold up after a hard frost, and provide no visual or ecological benefits in Winter. 

Plants to cut back include:

  • Iris*

  • Peony

  • Hosta

  • Daylily

  • Salvia

  • Nepeta (Catmint)

  • Monarda (Bee Balm)

These are likely beginning to turn yellow or brown as cold temperatures arrive, but if they are still green, you may wait a few weeks before cutting to be sure that they are finished for the season. 

How to cut: Trim plants down to 2-4 inches from the ground.

*It is recommended to cut Irises in a diamond shape 4-6 inches tall to encourage water runoff and prevent disease from entering the foliage.

For most perennials, it’s good to leave a bit of foliage at the base, not only because it will mark the placement in your garden, but also because it provides a little insulation for the plant’s root ball through the winter.

Important Notes:

  • Dead, diseased, or damaged branches can be removed anytime of year.

  • Deadheading spent blooms is always okay. Make cuts at an angle just above a healthy bud.

Diseased or Dead Plants

Removing unhealthy plant material in fall helps prevent disease from overwintering in your garden.

Cut back if you see:

  • Yellow or brown leaves

  • Powdery mildew or other diseases

  • Clearly damaged stems

Peony foliage with Powdery Mildew

When in Doubt ... Wait Until Spring

Feel free to put the tools down now. Nature is telling us it’s time to rest. If you’re unsure whether a plant should be pruned, it’s usually safer to wait. Spring pruning mistakes are easier to recover from. 

And if you’d rather not guess at all, that’s where we come in! We can cut back and haul away the right plants at the appropriate times, so you can have peace of mind.

Thanks for reading! Now you’re equipped with the same expert knowledge our team uses to prepare gardens for fall and winter. We take plant care seriously and are here to help your landscape look its best in every season.

Click here to schedule your Fall Cleanup!

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