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When to cut back herbaceous perennials

DedekindDedekind Posts: 172
in Plants
As the title says. When is the best time? Once they are "dead" in late autumn or they can be left until spring? I prefer the second option to avoid the garden looking bare, but am worried if it's unhealthy for the plant.

Some of the plants I have in mind for this are hardy geraniums, lupins, achilleas, echinaceas, aquilegias. 

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I rarely cut back in winter, but that's probably because I deadhead frequently, and when stems look ropey, I remove them, so it would mainly be the base foliage that would be left in place, and I usually leave that to die back itself. Anything still remaining in spring often just pulls out. 
    Of the plants you mention, geraniums, lupins and aquilegias benefit from being cut back after their first flush of flowers as it encourages new, fresh growth, and sometimes a later flush of flowers. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I can only really comment on the hardy geraniums, l cut them back after flowering and then give them a good watering. A new flush of growth then lasts through Winter.
    Don't know if it's too late, but if they're looking tatty l would go for it now.
    If you have any penstemons, the growth should be left on until late Spring before cutting back, which protects the crown of the plant.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    I usually leave them until spring, mid/late February into March, so that I can see the early bulbs that'll be coming through then. Partly for a bit of protection of the less-hardy things, and because often the late flowerers are still hanging on through October, the weather is often not nice in November and I'm busy in December most years. And I like to see the seedheads and old stems when they get coated with hoar frost, usually Jan/Feb.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    I don't cut back at of these just dead head,they die back naturally
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