cleaning out my garden at the end of the season

[David Calhoun]

My question doesn't relate to deadheading in the summer to get new growth, but rather after the growing season is over in the fall or winter. I end up with these gigantic stalks of milkweed, purple coneflower, black-eyed susan and whatnot. When can I safely remove these stalks?(Louisville,KY
38.5 degrees north). I suppose I shouldn't just yank them up because the root might come up too,right?
How short should I cut them off- 2", 6" ? ( I know that pupae/chrysalides can be on or in the stalks, so I won't destroy them , just toss them in a pile in my woods.Thanks in advance,David

[Mona Miller]

Be careful there are other butterflies that pupate on those stalks in your yard. I looked over yesterday at some tickseed sunflower that I had cut back and it had a Pipevine Swallowtail on it in the process of pupating. It had traveled a good 20 feet away from its host plant. I once had a landscape person who was really into nature. He recommended that you stack them up instead of throwing them. If there were any pupae on them, they might have a chance to emerge.

[windrider]

I tend to leave a lot of plants alone for the winter, so that the birds and small critters can have the seeds. I can't help but wonder how much seed is in the heads of coneflower that everyone tosses the minute the blossoms die. All the branches and dead leaves also make good cover for chipmunk and mice and other little critters in the winter (which bring about visits from hawks and owls)

[applestar]

I LOVE seeing the Goldfinches perched on top of the coneflower and sunflower heads, picking out seeds. Cardinals try but they're usually too heavy and end up hopping around on the ground, hoping the Goldfinches will drop some seeds their way The stems, left standing with seedheads and seeds pods, are also interesting when snow makes tiny piles on them.

I leave milkweed stems standing over winter -- the standing stems helps to protect the roots from frost/freezing. I'll pull them out or clean them up as they start to fall over in spring, just before or just as the new shoots are coming up. By then, the stems are thoroughly decomposed and they come up easily (sunflowers/coneflowers, etc need to be cut). It's part of my pre-emergent spring clean up, and they all add to the compost pile when compost materials are scarce.

[Mona Miller]

I don't really cut back my garden until May because there are a lot of eggs, caterpillars, and chrysalises out there. I was trimming back the Tickseed Sunflower because it is every where in my yard and soon it will seed. The seeds stick to your clothes and take forever to clean off.

Many moths fall down into leaf litter and are swept up and thrown away.

[David Calhoun]

Thanks for the responses. I guess I won't do a fall cleanup. I'll wait until new shoots are coming up in the spring.

[blazing star]

I don't remove my seed heads through winter either. The birds will use them and the Juncos will sit underneath the flowers and catch the falling seeds. I may poach some of the seeds to transport to my prairie I'm restoringat another site but I leave the bulk for the critters.

In the Spring, before it greens up, I run my electric lawn mower over the garden and leave the debris. Instant mulch and natural fertilizer and soil builder all in one!

[applestar]

That's a good idea! I'm just getting into using spent/cut foliage directly on the same bed as mulch. I'll have to remember that method.

[blazing star]

It's so easy, too.

[Wyvern]

I usually wait to clean out the garden beds in March. Leaving the stalks of certain plants in place until then helps me remember where certain perennials are so I don't accidentally till up the roots when prepping around to plant annuals.