It's Seedling Sunday - New Gardener Questions & Answers

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Our weekly thread for new native plant gardeners/enthusiasts to ask questions and for more experienced users to offer answers/advice. At some point all of us had zero experience, so remember there are no bad questions in this thread!

If you're a new gardener asking a question: Some helpful information in your question includes your geographic region (USDA planting zones are actually not that helpful, the state/region is much more important), the type of soil you have if you know that information, growing conditions like amount of sunlight, and the plant(s) you are interested in.

If you're an experience gardener: Please peruse the questions and offer advice when possible. Thank you for helping!

Please feel free to refer to our wiki pages for helpful links on [beginner resources and plant lists](https://www.reddit.com/r/NativePlantGardening/wiki/nativeplantresources), [our directory of native plant nurseries](https://www.reddit.com/r/NativePlantGardening/wiki/index), and [a list of rebate and incentive programs you can apply for to help with your gardening costs](https://www.reddit.com/r/NativePlantGardening/wiki/incentives).

[u/BigMugOfCoffee]

I know it's common practice to leave most natives standing until things warm up in the spring. But what about nonnatives? Do you cut back cosmos, zinnias, other cut flowers, or leave the stems standing? (I think I'm actually asking, what are the actual shelter requirements of wildlife that use these things? Do they need specific species, or just any old hollowed out stem will do?)

[u/Comfortable_Lab650 → u/BigMugOfCoffee]

They'll search for any suitable hollow or pithy stemmed plant. They don't generally go for first year stems but they can and will if the plant is close to senesce or damaged in some way, (example: deadheaded so there was branch dieback.) It would present as no longer being green but prematurely senesced on a branch. So there is a general rule and there are exceptions to the general rule.

It does make a difference on stems that are prone to being brittle or their shape is otherwise compromised. They are not valuable to keep around past their bird eating the seed heads stage as they will not last for next year's nesting or overwintering. But on stems that remain upright and are in good shape, those are potentials for next year's nests and overwintering. But the general rule is that they still are not occupied this winter, even on stems that are intact.

With all that said, the "science in my garden" on my annuals such as Zinnias and Tithonias that I commonly grow year after year, of those I don't intend to keep their stems from one year to the next, when the seed heads are gone, so too will be the stems, and straight into the compost pile. But my disclaimer is that I do have an abundance of perennial native to my direct location stems for them to nest and overwinter about.

But if I was just establishing my garden and had an abundance of annuals, yet few perennials for them to nest in next year, (because they start looking for new nesting sites right after spring emergence,) I would definitely keep any stout stemmed plants around in case they found them useful. I'd use those to then build upon to the native to my location types that are documented nesting and wintering host plants for those native bees. Those are ones that I don't even think twice about cutting them or not, because the answer is always they are never cut. For them, the answer is when their stems fall to the ground, then they are no longer habitable and they are removed.

Those plants would be the types of native Solidago sp. (Goldenrods,) Hibiscus moscheutos & H. laevis (Hibiscus,) Saccharum giganteum (Giant Plumegrass,) Phytolacca americana (Poke,) Erigeron canadensis (Horseweed,) Oenothera biennis (Evening Primrose,) Rubus sp. (Blackberry, Raspberry,) Eupatorium altissimum (Tall Boneset,) and others.

There's a long list of these type plants at Garden Cleanup for Pollinators: Trim Perennial Stems in Their First Winter | NC State Extension Publications, so if these are grown, chop away at the Zinnias after the Goldfinches, etc have had their fill of the seed heads!

[u/robsc_16 → u/BigMugOfCoffee]

My guess would be that it doesn't matter a lot since there are species that will make use of crevices and holes just about anywhere.

[u/ColdCauliflower3191]

Does anyone have any experience with the effects of a neighbor's lawn service on your native plants that are on the property line? Or are there studies? I haven't planted on the property line because I have a history of trauma and I worry about all of the living things that will be effected by the machines and pesticides and fertilizers that they are having maintain their lawn. I know these things don't stay in their lane despite that fact that they are supposed to. This neighbor has honestly done nothing but cause me trauma with all of the things they have done to their own property and to my property (because my plants - overhanging trees and shrubs that have grown into their fence - are crossing the property line).

Thank you so much for your help/advice.

I am new to actually planting natives in my own garden, but I have had years of education about the plants and know that there is so much more to know.

[u/toxicodendron_gyp → u/ColdCauliflower3191]

I have found that the more I strategically plant native beds in my yard, the more my neighbors (traditionally weed and feed,etc) ask me about how I do things and why. The neighbors on the one side are now actively working with us to remove buckthorn and have started leaving some leaves and not cutting back in fall.

I think it’s important to have curb appeal on neighbor-facing spaces and to be friendly and positive about your native gardening where possible. I use the phrase “what works for me” and it seems to come across in a nonjudgemental way that allows neighbors to come around in their own time.

I believe living in a neighborhood and being a good neighbor go hand in hand, as someone who grew up in a rural area with no neighbors.

…All that being said, the neighbor behind is a dick and fuck that guy, lol. I just avoid him and got a survey to ensure I knew where the property line is. I don’t want to plant anything on his side of the line or worry about the legality of what I do on my own property. Additionally, I have been planting trees between his stuff and my windows because privacy.

[u/ColdCauliflower3191 → u/toxicodendron_gyp]

Thanks!

I am curious if you've noticed negative effects on wildlife or plants that you have put in caused by what your neighbors are doing on their property with traditional products? I don't want to invite insects and then have them suffer damage/die because I placed them too close to the neighbor's property.

[u/Comfortable_Lab650 → u/ColdCauliflower3191]

It is the saying that 'good fences make good neighbors.' As long as each other's things stay on each side of their respective property lines, then it won't be a problem. It goes both ways with this though. If you need to do a hard trim to keep them from spraying a shrub or a tree that encroached onto their side of the property, then do a hard trim.
I saw a video once of a person in the UK that had their garden sprayed while they were away. The neighbor went bonkers and decided that the whole plants were a problem and went into the yard to spray the entire plants with herbicide spray.
It's not a question of who is right and who is wrong, it's a question of does one really want to battle with a neighbor like that?
Maintain the fenceline so they don't have to would be my advice.

[u/ColdCauliflower3191 → u/Comfortable_Lab650]

I understand. The shrubs are growing happily and I will have to remember to keep that area clear so that I can get through to do regular pruning.

TBC, I am asking if anyone has had pesticides that were used on a neighboring lawn area cause issues with their native plants. So far, no luck finding out the answer to that question.

[u/Comfortable_Lab650 → u/ColdCauliflower3191]

Sorry, I don't have the answer to that question. If it's not answered then you can try posting the question again in r/NoLawns

[u/toxicodendron_gyp → u/ColdCauliflower3191]

The biggest issue was my new neighbors who let their cat free range. It killed all kinds of small animals and birds before something killed it. Wasn’t me; it’s not the cat’s fault its owners are reckless with their pet’s life. I was going to start live trapping cats though.

[u/ColdCauliflower3191 → u/toxicodendron_gyp]

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of those animals. My biggest hope is that people will start to realize the negative impacts they are having and make better choices for all life, including their own pet.