PRO Tip: What to Prune (and What to Leave) for Fall & Winter

🍂 PRO Tip: What to Prune (and What to Leave) for Fall & Winter

As the growing season winds down, fall is the perfect time to tidy up your yard. Knowing what to prune now—and what’s best left until spring—can protect your plants and set them up for a healthy start next year.

✅ What to Prune in Fall

• Dead, Diseased, or Damaged Wood
  Cut out branches that are broken, diseased, or obviously dead to prevent further spread and winter damage.

• Shrubs That Bloom in Summer
  Plants like spirea, potentilla, and butterfly bush flower on new wood. A fall trim helps shape them and encourages stronger growth in spring.

• Perennials That Have Finished
  Cut back hostas, daylilies, peonies, and other spent perennials. This reduces overwintering pests and makes room for spring growth.

• Vegetable Gardens
  Remove tomato, bean, squash, and other spent plants to prevent disease from carrying over.

❌ What to Leave Until Spring

• Spring-Flowering Shrubs & Trees
  Lilac, forsythia, and serviceberry bloom on old wood. Pruning now removes next year’s buds. Wait until just after they bloom.

• Ornamental Grasses & Seed Heads
  Leave grasses, coneflowers, and black-eyed Susans for winter interest—and as food for birds.

• Roses (Most Types)
  Avoid heavy pruning in fall. Instead, wait until spring to shape and remove winter dieback.

• Tender Perennials with Winter Protection
  Plants like hydrangea macrophylla or lavender benefit from leaving stems intact for extra insulation.

🌱 Extra Tips

• Always use clean, sharp pruners.

• Make angled cuts just above healthy buds.

• Compost healthy trimmings—dispose of diseased material.

With a little fall pruning (and patience to leave the rest), your yard will thank you come spring.