I finally got around to asking ChatGPT if I need to prune any of my plants for the winter (how did people learn these things before LLMs?). It turns out almost all of them are better off without winter pruning—a win!
Plant | Prune for Winter? | Details |
---|---|---|
Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) | No (Prune in late winter/early spring) | Leave stems intact for winter protection and prune to 6–12 inches in spring. |
Sand Love Grass (Eragrostis trichodes) | No (Prune in late winter/early spring) | Leave seed heads and foliage for winter interest; cut to 2–4 inches in spring. |
Calamintha nepeta 'Montrose White' | Optional (Light trim in late fall) | Lightly trim back spent flowers in late fall for tidiness but avoid heavy pruning; more pruning can be done in spring. |
Sedum 'Autumn Joy' | No (Prune in early spring) | Leave seed heads for winter interest; cut to just above new growth in spring. |
Switchgrass (Panicum 'Prairie Dog') | No (Prune in late winter/early spring) | Leave foliage and seed heads for structure and protection; cut to 4–6 inches in spring. |
Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis) | Yes (Prune to ground in late fall or spring) | Cut back stems to about 3 inches above the ground after they go dormant to tidy up and encourage strong growth in spring. |
Aromatic Aster (Aster oblongifolius 'October Skies') | Yes (Prune in late fall) | Cut back stems to a few inches above the ground after blooming; this promotes healthy growth and prevents legginess next season. |
Sedum 'Matrona' | No (Prune in early spring) | Leave seed heads for winter interest; prune to above new growth in spring. |
Catmint (Nepeta 'Amelia') | Optional (Light trim in late fall) | Trim back spent flowers lightly in fall for tidiness, but leave the main structure intact to protect the plant over winter. |
Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica 'Gro-Low') | No (Prune in early spring, if needed) | Generally low-maintenance; prune in spring only if shaping is required. |
Fountain Grass (Pennisetum 'Hush Puppy') | No (Prune in late winter/early spring) | Leave foliage intact for winter interest; cut back to 2–4 inches in spring to encourage new growth. |
I haven't been to my rooftop in weeks—it's too cold. I also haven't pruned them for the winter. My hairdresser tells me that each plant has specific hibernation pruning requirements. I hope they're doing okay.
]]>I went up to the roof this morning to check on the plants and was delighted to find our bush in the southwestern corner is blooming flowers. I was already happy with its green foliage, so this development is even better.
Aromatic Aster / aster oblongifolius 'October Skies'
We moved to a brownstone street in March, and our apartment comes with a rooftop. It was completely empty when we arrived: expansive (~500 sqft) but barren. I started building a garden a month and a half ago, and, after a little bit of thought, decided to record my journey here.
Here's an early photo of the rooftop when we built the dining table at the beginning of summer. The roof spans both bedrooms in our apartment, which is to say that there is a lot of room on the roof. The dining table feels lost despite being 70" long!
With ChatGPT's recommendations in hand, I made my way to Outside Space Garden Center in Fort Greene. I figured it's better to buy local plants versus off the internet, since local nurseries would only carry plants that do well in our climate(?). Here's what I picked up with the help of the garden staff—I was looking for drought tolerant (there's no hose on the roof, so I fill my watering can in my apartment), and perennials (returns year after year):