Can Fall Pruning Help Keep Your Garden Healthy?

Fall isn't just a season for enjoying flowers. It's also a great time to tidy up the garden! Every autumn, the University of Michigan's men's and women's cross-country teams visit the university's historic peony garden to help trim dead stems and foliage, preparing the plants for winter.

Located within Nichols Arboretum in Ann Arbor, the W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden is home to hundreds of historic peony varieties and approximately 800 plants. During the peak blooming season from May to June, the garden typically produces around 10,000 flowers, attracting many visitors.

On October 18 this year, cross-country team members worked together to cut back dead stems and foliage and load the collected plant material onto trucks. A cleanup that might otherwise have taken about a week was completed in approximately one hour through teamwork! Horticulturists also noted that removing dead stems and foliage in the fall helps reduce the risk of diseases carrying over into the next growing season, supporting plant health.

Home gardeners can also draw inspiration from this activity when maintaining their own gardens. For example, the Fiskars X-Series PowerGear X Bypass Pruner, Large - P961, features a power-assisted gear mechanism and a comfortable, non-slip SoftGrip handle. It can help trim branches that need to be removed during garden maintenance, making everyday gardening tasks easier to handle.