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| Mother Nature's Backyard in November: illustrating life-friendly fall pruning. |
Late
fall and early winter are important pruning times in Southern California
gardens. Many California native plants,
particularly those from drier low elevations, are dormant from late summer
until the winter rains. That’s why fall
has traditionally been a major pruning season.
To get a better sense of the seasons in S. California gardens see: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2014/09/seasons-in-southern-california-garden.html.
California
is known for weather that varies dramatically from year-to-year. Seasonal effects are only somewhat predictable;
thus the timing of ‘fall pruning’ needs to be flexible and based on conditions
at hand. There is no ‘one size fits all
years’ rule for when to do fall pruning.
Several
considerations should influence the timing of fall pruning. First, the wise gardener respects the plants’ health and welfare. Pruning – even necessary pruning – is stressful;
temperatures should be cool enough that plants aren’t unduly traumatized. Wait
until the temperatures are ‘fall like’ – and don’t prune when hot Santa Ana
winds are predicted.
On
the other hand, pruning is best done before the yearly growth spurt. Thus, pruning should be completed before
winter rains commence in earnest – usually late November or December under
current climatic conditions. Dry
season pruning also discourages fungal infections, which can spread through pruning
cuts in damp weather.
Another
factor impacting fall pruning is the desire to ‘tidy up the garden’. This is
a noble aim – most of us enjoy a garden that’s at least somewhat neat and
tidy. By the end of summer, some plants
are beginning to look a little raggedy.
Many native plants have completed their flowering (or will do so in
early fall). The temptation is to
dead-head those spent flowers – or to commence pruning in earnest – all in the
interest of garden aesthetics (or the neighbor’s good graces).
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| Garden of Dreams (CSU Dominguez Hills) - some plants are left un-pruned until winter to provide food for birds |
Which
brings us to a third consideration for fall pruning: preserving habitat. Birds,
insects and other creatures depend on fruits (including dried), seeds and
insects found on fall plants. Your fall garden
is an important source of food; concern for habitat should also figure in the
timing of fall pruning.
If
you garden in S. California, you’ve no doubt noticed that different birds visit
your garden in fall and winter.
California is an important stop for birds migrating along the Pacific
Flyway – a giant bird ‘freeway’ in the sky.
Some birds just stop to refuel; others spend the winter in our
delightful wild-lands and gardens.
Either way, these birds – along with resident birds and insects – require
food in fall and winter.
The
past two years have been particularly hard on California wildlife. Even with decreased water use, our gardens
are still wetter and more productive than the drought stressed wild-lands. That’s why we’ve seen more wildlife than ever
in our gardens this year.
From
native pollinators and butterflies to large animals like deer, creatures are
desperate for food and water - and so they come to our gardens. As wild-lands suffer from climatic extremes,
our gardens play an increasingly important role in providing food, shelter and
water. In all years – but particularly in
years when food is scarce – we need to manage our fall pruning responsibly.
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| Buckwheats are left un-pruned until late fall to provide food for birds. |
But
how can we manage our gardens to meet all these considerations? Here are a few suggestions for Southern California
gardeners (and others with similar climates):
- Wait
a bit later to begin
your fall pruning. Instead of
beginning in early October, wait until November if possible. There are usually dry periods, even in
December, when pruning can be completed. - Don’t
prune all your plants at once. Plants in the Sunflower family, the
Buckwheats, Sages (Salvias), plants with fruits/berries and
summer-flowering wildflowers like Evening primroses are important sources
of fall food. Wait until the seeds
are mostly gone before pruning them.
If you must prune, at least put the seed heads on your bird feeder.
Here are some plants to consider
pruning later:
·
Annual
sunflower, California sagebrush (Artemisia)
and other summer blooming asters/sunflowers
·
Fall-blooming
shrubs with fluffy seeds like the golden bushes, Pluchea, Goldenrods (Solidago
species) and Baccharis species
·
All
of the native buckwheats
·
Milkweeds
(if still green)
·
Any
other summer-blooming or fruiting plant that still has food value
Watch your garden; if birds are
visiting a plant, they may be eating insects.
Postpone pruning it as well. Prune other plants to make your garden look
neat – save the food plants for last.
- Prune
selectively. Some plants – particularly those
in public places – need to be pruned to keep the neighbors happy. No one
likes a front yard that looks abandoned!
So prune the most visible plants first, leaving those that are less
visible for later. We sometimes
prune the visible half of a Salvia (for example, that nearest a walkway)
in late summer or fall, leaving the back half for later. That achieves both aims: neatness and
food. - Don’t
prune all of a species at once.
If you have several golden bushes, prune
some of them and leave others to prune later. - Educate
and encourage your neighbors. Post simple signs that explain why you’re
retaining some plants, un-pruned for now, as food for birds and
butterflies. Most will respect your decision to prune responsibly. Some may even change their own practices,
based on your gentle persuasion.
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| Lesser Goldfinch eating Annual sunflower seeds. |
For more on
pruning California native plants see: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2012/11/pruning-common-native-plants.html
We
value your comments (below). You can
also contact us directly at mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com.
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