Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

rate this answer

Thursday - February 13, 2014
From: Seguin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Seasonal Tasks
Title: Cutting back plants after frost from Seguin TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
When is best time to cut back native plants after frost kill? ThanksANSWER:
If the plants are annuals, forget it - they only live one year and are dead already. If they are perennial flowering plants, we usually recommend cutting back to about 6 inches in the late Fall, which you can do now, so you can see where the plant will be coming back up in the spring. Their roots should not have frozen if you had them in the ground, so they will come back soon. If they were shrubs, you will actually be doing your winter pruning. Trim back for shape - then whatever is left that does not leaf out can be trimmed back later.
More Seasonal Tasks Questions
Transplanting a redbud in Virginia Beach VA
April 21, 2010 - I have a 5-6 ft. Redbud Tree and like to dig up and move to different spot in my backyard. How/what is the proper way to do it without killing the tree?
view the full question and answer
Preventing weeds in kinnikinnick in Richland WA
May 29, 2011 - We planted our kinnickinick last Nov. and we live in Richland, WA, where it gets hot in the summer. We planted almost 500 of them on a hillside. Weeding is taking over our lives, to say the least. ...
view the full question and answer
Shade trees for Spring TX
August 17, 2011 - Dear Mr.Pants, our west-facing backyard in Spring, Tx, is unbearable in this Summer's heat. Neither us nor the neighbors has any backyard trees established yet, as the subdivision is pretty new. C...
view the full question and answer
Flowers for days on end in California
March 30, 2012 - What are some plants or flowers that I can grow "all-year" in California?
view the full question and answer
Mowing frequency of native lawn from Georgetown TX
August 18, 2012 - I have a native grass and wildflower lawn. At what frequency and when should the lawn be mowed?
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |