What Should I Do With Dead Plant Stems?
Asked by g4rdenV1b3s
As planting season is approaching, I'm staring at all these dead plant stems I have from last year. Is there any benefit in cutting them up and burying them in the containers, especially if I plan to reuse them for the same type of plants?
Answers
I chop my dead stems down when bugs start buzzing around since many overwinter in the stems. I leave them at the base of other plants as mulch, and as they break down, they actually help enrich the soil. This works well for both potted plants and garden beds.
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I like to treat it like nature's recycling! I throw mine into the woods for natural composting. But for potted plants, I just cut off dead parts and mix them into my dirt pile, which is a combo of compost and native soil.
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I usually toss my dead stems into the compost pile, especially in spring. If they stay in the ground, they're often left as mulch in the fall, but come spring, I'm cleaning house! Composting lets them break down properly before using them again.
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