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Now that leaves have come off the plants, it's a good time to start to trim the stems from last year. You can tell if there are any chrysalises or cocoons because stems are bare.

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Trim the cut stems into 6" sections. It's easy to ensure now that there are no chrsyalises on the stem. These small pieces can then be placed in small piles around the plant where they will break down into soil eventually. In a month once the plants are up, you won't even know the piles are there. 

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Trim the cut stems into 6" sections. It's easy to ensure now that there are no chrsyalises on the stem. These small pieces can then be placed in small piles around the plant where they will break down into soil eventually. In a month once the plants are up, you won't even know the piles are there. 

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Naturally broken stems make good places to trim. 

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Naturally broken stems make good places to trim. 

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Stems have been trimmed 12-18" generally at uniform height. Trimming last season's growth at this height offers places for solitary bee nesting sites this coming summer. The stems are left in a pile around the base of the plant so that they can biodegrade and become a habitat for soil dwelling animals like fireflies as well as be on their way to becoming soil. Stems can take a couple years to break down, mostly done by fungi. Leaves are kept in place as mulch and soil builder. In a month, they won't be as visible because the plants will have emerged.

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Native Praying Mantis egg case--easily viewed now that leaves are gone. It won't get chucked into the compost pile. 

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Native Praying Mantis egg case--easily viewed now that leaves are gone. It won't get chucked into the compost pile. 

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We have posts that offer more information about the how-tos for ecologically sensitive clean-up. Different seasons call for different approaches (but still follow the basic principle of keeping the material in the garden

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On this page, you can find links to our past posts about how to approach spring and fall clean-up in an eco-sensitive way. The main principle is to keep as much as you can and do as little as possible in your garden when doing standard maintenance. Why? Following this principle ensures biodiversity.

Fall Clean-up (reading this article helps you understand why to adjust clean-up practices): What's in a Leaf Pile, or Why Not to Do Fall Clean-up and Putting the Garden to Bed Wild Ones Style. This post celebrates the colors of the fall and winter garden: Sprezzatura in the Fall Garden.

Winter: Quick Tips to Tidy the Habitat Garden

Spring: Rethinking Spring Clean-up

Summer: Two Simple, Easy, and Natural Steps for Summer Habitat Maintenance

A great example of how helpful it can be to follow an eco-sensitive clean up program is the problem of aphids. Everyone seems to get aphids, and one of the best defenses is beneficial insects. There is no need to purchase them. Follow the habitat garden maintenance practices, and the aphids should be kept in check (there are always exceptions...). Read this article to learn about just some of their predators, most of which overwinter in the garden. Aphids: What to Do?

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On this page, you can find links to our past posts about how to approach spring and fall clean-up in an eco-sensitive way. The main principle is to keep as much as you can and do as little as possible in your garden when doing standard maintenance. Why?