Should I do fall cleanup of my perennials?

Should the following perennials be cut down and added to the mulch or should I leave the stalks with the seeds for the birds: goldenrod; purple coneflower; giant blue lobelia; hollycock; phlox; blazing star;rudbeckia; coreopsis; joepye weed. All have long stalks and have gone to seed. Are these seeds eaten by the birds or have they dispersed long before 4 foot snow piles. Should I cut them down to the ground and mulch or leave the stalks and just mulch heavy around the base of the plants. Winter residents are: chickadee; evening grosbeak; tufted titmouse; woodpeckers; some juncos; finches nuthatchs. Would these stalks harbor more insects and larvae or would they benefit the birds?

Should I do fall cleanup of my perennials?
perennials seed themselves in fall. I usually wait until just before the snow flies to cut them down. I have though waited till spring to do this. I believe it is up to you weather or not you want to do it now or later. If you wait till spring, just be warned they get more tangled and are therefore harder to clean up.
Reply:unless your trying to spread these plants you should have cut them down just before going to seed ....now you've got allot of weeding to do in the spring to keep them from being over crowded......my stuff is always mowed just before the end of summer except for the ones i want to fill in more......leaving stalks just leaves places for bugs....you should have a Lil patch of milkweed for the monarch butter flies to wrap up in though
Reply:The stalks might bring more larvae and bugs for the birds, and the stalks might also benefit for the birds.
Reply:This would be a personal preferance.


My front yard, I cut it down after save seeds I wanted to reuse.


The back I leave for Spring. Both areas I add chopped leaves (from lawnmower cutting) around base each fall.
Reply:yes

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