Fall Landscaping Tips From The Pros

As the leaves change and temperatures drop, your yard is getting ready for a new season, too. Don’t overlook landscaping projects this fall! Today, we’re visiting with Dane County Extension Horticulture Educator Lisa Johnson on smart fall landscaping tips to keep your outdoor spaces ready to thrive come spring.

First, she says, there’s not a specific date to get your fall landscaping to-do list done. That requires eyes on the forecast.

“It’s more weather-dependent,” Johnson says. “And some years, like a couple of years back, we had snow in like the middle of October, and everything was still in full leaf like it is right now. And that’s a problem, clearly.”

Her advice? Aim to finish fall cleanup by the end of November. She says Thanksgiving weekend is usually a safe bet, as long as the snow hasn’t already flown.

While early frosts may tempt you to start pruning, Johnson cautions against it.

“So for our woody plants, we generally don’t want to do any pruning until the leaves have fallen and they’re well into dormancy. So that actually should not happen until ideally March, but February would be okay too,” Johnson explains. “You just don’t want to do it while it’s too warm, and we might end up with growth starting again or getting into the 50s, you know, that kind of thing. And we also don’t want to do it when it’s too cold.”

When it comes to perennials, Johnson recommends a gentler approach. Plants like irises can be divided through early November, as long as the ground isn’t frozen. And instead of removing every leaf and stem, she suggests leaving some behind for wildlife.

“I’ve gotten a lot more laissez-faire about my care of the perennial garden, keeping in mind that we want to leave leaves on the beds in order for the insects to be able to overwinter there,” Johnson says. “In fact, I’m using leaves instead of mulch now.”

There are a few exceptions, though. Hosta leaves can go as they don’t benefit overwintering insects. But natives like asters and goldenrods, along with mums, should keep at least 12 inches of stem to protect their crowns through winter.