By AMANDA ZAMBRANO
Master Gardener Intern

WARSAW — My garden needs some cleaning up. My hydrangeas are a big sprawling mess, my knock-outs are overgrown and my peonies are way past their prime. I can’t wait to hit the garden next weekend with my pruning shears and go to town.

Sadly, guess what I’m not doing next weekend. I’m not hitting the garden with my pruning shears.
Surprised? Me too.

Much of my gardening journey has been an internal Shakespearian debate on To Prune or Not To Prune. Turns out, fall is not the time to prune. It’s so tempting. The end of summer has left the landscaping bedraggled. Leaves are falling and we can see plant structure better, highlighting the many areas that need trimmed out. The summer’s busyness of vacations and cook-outs and baseball games has come to an end and we have time to garden.

Resist the temptation. Many plants you’re itching to trim back will only be encouraged to grow, making them vulnerable come the inevitable cold of winter arrives in a few short months. Others could lose their spring set of blossoms if you cut them back now. Pruning at this point in the year can make your plants susceptible to disease and pests. So put down the pruning shears, and back away slowly.

As with anything, of course, there are a few of exceptions

My peonies — those I will prune down to the ground. I’ll also be deadheading my daisies. After the first frost in a couple of weeks or so, I’ll cut my daylilies down to about four or five inches, and I’ll cut my daisies back to a couple of inches. After the ground fully freezes, they can be covered with mulch (leaves, grass clippings, etc…). This can be done with other similar flowering perennials or annuals.

The only other pruning to be done in the fall is to remove diseased, damaged or dead branches, stems and limbs; dead or yellowing leaves; and spent blossoms.

Many of those things you’d like to prune now, such as your evergreens, junipers and wood perennials should be pruned in deep, deep winter, or the very earliest of spring. Spring blooming plants like lilacs and azaleas should be pruned after they flower. Hold off on pruning ornamental grasses until you see the start of new growth next spring.

If you’re still itching to get in the garden, the fall is the perfect time to battle weeds, care for your lawn, and plant spring bulbs.

Amanda Zambrano is the director of advancement at Grace Village Retirement Community. She is a master gardener intern, just learning the ins and outs of successful gardening.

Along with her master gardener volunteering, Amanda serves on the board of directors for the Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts, the Symphony of the Lakes committee and a Kosciusko County Community Foundation scholarship committee. She plays flute for the Symphony of the Lakes and enjoys hand-quilting, baking and reading. She is also an occasional blogger. Amanda lives in Warsaw with her husband Dan and her son Alexander.