I have never (in all 3 years
) trimmed back green leaves or green scapes.
Like David said: as long as they are not brown they give all nutrients in them back to the plant.
(same with flowers: I don't deadhead until the spent flowers 'let go' by themselves)
The scapes turn brown when there are no seedpods or prolifs attached and can be pulled easily when they are truly dead.
Same for the leaves: when they turn brown and can be pulled without any force they go onto the compost heap to make compost, or I leave them between the plants as extra mulch.
This time of year only the oldest leaves turn brown. When winter approaches some DL's will loose all their leaves, but those I leave until spring as extra cover in case the temp drops below freezing. I do however pull them free of the plant so any new growth isn't restricted.
I like the way my DL's are growing and performing now, but I don't know what the (visible) effects would be if I did trimm of course...
I just like the idea of letting my plants do things at their own pace and I'm not bothered by an 'untidy' garden
(And I also have enough annuals mixed in that are covering a lot by now
)
Mayo
