I have read serval articles about pruning, but I am still not sure whether I should prune some plants for winter. Acording to the artilces I read, you should be prudent about fall pruning. Cold whether has induced woody plants to cease growth and pruning their braches now may have the opposite effect: promoting their growth and leaving unhealed wound exposed to fungi spores and other diseases. You can cut down perennial flowers; prune plants whose stems need protection to survive in winter; and prune old stems that no longer used or already dead. What do you prune before winter? What do you leave them untouched until next spring? Roses: if flowered branches will not flower again, should I cut off these branches immediately after they bloom, or wait until next spring? My bush roses are still in full blooming. Raspberry canes that bore fruits will die, so I can cut them to ground now? But how about vine blackberry? They did not bear any fruit this summer in their first year. How about hydrangea and peony? Please share you experience.
I don't prune much this time of year. We get a lot of strong, cold winds here and I always leave as much cover on my plants as possible. I do trim off old flower stalks so I don't get seeds scattered everywhere.
I do what Netty does, but if we get a very nice, dry autumn I clean away more of the dried stalks and leaves than I would otherwise do, just for the joy of being outside. With Peonies I cut the dead stems away near the ground. They don't supply much cover anyway. I leave the lily stalks since I read somewhere that if I cut them, water will collect in the hollow stem and this will freeze, damaging the bulb. I'm not risking my lilies because I want it tidy. The died-down Hosta leaves are removed if it's not too wet, because slugs like to over-winter underneath them. The leaves falling from my trees are spread in the borders. Excellent ground cover. In spring I just cover it with compost.
Thank you both for the follow up. Too bad for my lilies. Rabbits ate them all, including the stalks. I read somewhere that proning blakberry should be done in late winter but you can cut raspberry down to ground before winter.
