October 2026 Tips

 

PERENNIALS

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It’s time to divide your perennials, such as daylilies, peonies, iris, garden phlox, black-eyed susans, hostas, and poppies. Make sure you have a prepared hole to put the divided plant into which is nice and wet. Note - Any plant that has a major single root system should NOT be divided. The reason to divide in the fall here is that roots develop in the winter when they are dormant – no matter how frozen the ground is. Also, cut back spent leaf-branches to about 6” above ground level.

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TREES

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It’s finally time, but don’t go crazy.

We’ll start with trees: Remove any dead branches first, and any branches that are too low to walk under on pathways. Also remove branches that are broken, and suckers coming from the base.

DO NOT TOP YOUR TREES!

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Please note: Prune grapes and fruit trees in the Spring.

Prune each branch to its source or just after an outside node (nodes are the points on a stem where the buds, leaves, and branching twigs originate).

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SHRUBS

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Normally shrubs do not need pruning unless they’re intruding on a walkway, driveway, house siding, etc. Shrubs are normally not grafted, so don’t lop off flower buds (just “deadhead” the blooms) or you won’t have any blooms for next year.

 

PRUNE AWAY !!! (but not too much…...)

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     HAPPY FALL!

     Happy Gardening!

     Diane​​