Garden clean up by Stephanie W https://padlet.com/swalquist/gs4ojrxvo7bb Thoughtful garden clean up supports biodiversity above and below ground. en-us 2017-03-17 17:06:39 UTC 2023-03-26 00:46:14 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Brightnessdown.png Before clean-up swalquist https://padlet.com/swalquist/gs4ojrxvo7bb/wish/160851817 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. ]]> 2017-03-17 17:06:39 UTC https://padlet.com/swalquist/gs4ojrxvo7bb/wish/160851817 Naturally broken stems make good places to trim. swalquist https://padlet.com/swalquist/gs4ojrxvo7bb/wish/339719220 2019-03-10 18:49:30 UTC https://padlet.com/swalquist/gs4ojrxvo7bb/wish/339719220 After clean-up swalquist https://padlet.com/swalquist/gs4ojrxvo7bb/wish/339721351 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. ]]> 2019-03-10 19:03:29 UTC https://padlet.com/swalquist/gs4ojrxvo7bb/wish/339721351 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. swalquist https://padlet.com/swalquist/gs4ojrxvo7bb/wish/339729442 2019-03-10 20:01:50 UTC https://padlet.com/swalquist/gs4ojrxvo7bb/wish/339729442 Native Praying Mantis egg case--easily viewed now that leaves are gone. It won't get chucked into the compost pile. swalquist https://padlet.com/swalquist/gs4ojrxvo7bb/wish/339729525 2019-03-10 20:02:33 UTC https://padlet.com/swalquist/gs4ojrxvo7bb/wish/339729525 swalquist https://padlet.com/swalquist/gs4ojrxvo7bb/wish/339765743 2019-03-11 00:15:19 UTC https://padlet.com/swalquist/gs4ojrxvo7bb/wish/339765743 More information on our site swalquist https://padlet.com/swalquist/gs4ojrxvo7bb/wish/346771726 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]]> 2019-03-30 13:05:35 UTC https://padlet.com/swalquist/gs4ojrxvo7bb/wish/346771726