Cleanup ??

[jimtx]

When do I clean up my perennials?

Lot of dead leaves ... some dead ends of branches>

Daylilies are brown and on the ground?

Turks Cap looks burned all over and Esperanza (sp?) is just the branches and little dead on the ends.

Butterfly bushes .. leaves look burned

BeeBalm ... looks very burned .

Mums looked dead but are putting out ... should I cut off dead and will they bloom again in the spring?

Hardy Hibiscus are just sticks?

Probably some more but that will do for starters.

Thanks,

Jim

[Ann B.]

Jim,

You bring up some very good points. The day lilies are herbaceous (die to the ground in winter). I usually leave the old leaves and let them decompose where they are. Just add fresh mulch on top. Some of mine have died back completely, others only a little and many are starting to sprout new growth. Each variety seems to be different.

The buddleia is somewhat deciduos (lose their leaves in winter) here, depending on the variety and how well protected they are from the north wind. I usually prune most deciduos plants while they are dormant. However, I sometimes put it off on the buddleia because more and more seed pods are opening every day, and I want to collect a few more seeds.

I prune the dead part of the mums now, and yes you should get some spring blooms on the new growth. I also cut back both the hardy and sub-tropical hibiscus to about 8-12 inches (at least those that are in the ground).

My Monardia are still in 4 inch pots in the greenhouse, but are in bad need of going to gallon pots and placed outdoors for the rest of the winter.

The rest are new to me, so I will have to look them up. Are the Turk's Cap, the native bush or the bulb? If it has a small red flower, it is the bush. If it is the bulb, it will have a larger red/yellow flower and is more tropical. This is where we run into difficulty with common names.

Prune any and all dead branches now. If it is the type of plant that blooms on last year's growth, you will want to wait to prune them until after they bloom in the spring.

Maybe, someone else can help with those that I do not have. If not, I'd be happy to look them up for you.