Roxanne Stuhr sat down with CleanWaterMN to give them the rundown on fall raingarden maintenance, and it turns out that rain garden maintenance needs aren't so different from what we do in our regular gardens. You can have a raingarden too.
Autumn Tips for Your Rain Garden
Follow Roxanne’s simple tips to prep your rain garden for winter.
Clean Up!
- If your rain garden design includes a dry creek bed or another drainage depression, use a blower to remove debris.
- Weed out undesirable plants with help from the U of MN Weed Identification site.
- Check the depth of your rain garden. Remove any excess mulch or roof sediment that has built up around plants.
Mulch if needed
- Mulching will protect your plants from a temperature differential, which is particularly important for trees and shrubs.
- Take care to mulch properly with 1-2” depth around perennials and 3-4” around trees and shrubs.
- Make a “donut” around trees and shrubs. Do not pile mulch up in a “volcano” around trunks.
Divide and move plants if they’re overcrowded
- Click here for common signs that it’s time to divide a plant.
- Dividing in excess heat or cold will stress plants. Aim for 45-65 degrees for success.
- Share extra plants with your neighbors.
Save the seeds
- Don’t cut back native plants until spring. Their seeds are a great source of food and for winter wildlife. Plus they look lovely poking out of winter snow cover.
Do you want to learn more about installing a raingarden in you your yard?
Here are some local programs that can help you get started: