Hostas are an old favorite in the perennial gardenand for good reason: they are reliable and durable shade-loving plants which come in a range of pretty shades from chartreuse to blue-green. The leaves, which can be heart-shaped, oval, lance-shaped or curved, measure from a few inches to a few feet wide, while the flower stalks bear bell-shaped flowers that pollinatorslike hummingbirds and bees, love.

Better yet, hostas are low maintenance plants that anyone can grow. For most of the season, you won’t have to do much to keep them in good condition. They like well-drained soil but can adapt to most types except super soggy clay. Give them morning sun to bring out their best colors, but make sure they get afternoon shade so they don’t fry. A little extra water during droughts helps them stay vigorous.

Hostas also develop attractive fall colors, ranging from bright yellows to muted browns. At the end of the season, they will need to be pruned, but not too early!, to keep them healthy for their reappearance next spring.

Read on to learn when to cut back your hostas to keep them healthy:

Should you cut back hostas?

Removing the spent hosta’s foliage helps tidy up the garden. But more importantly, it removes dead leaves that harbor slug eggs that can attack next year’s plantings. Decaying foliage also attracts harmful wildlife, such as voleswhich can shelter under leaves and devour roots during cold months. The disease can also overwinter in hostas, so removing and disposing of all spent foliage (not composting) will help prevent future outbreaks.

When to cut back hostas

Although it is possible to cut off dead leaves at any time during the season, wait until the plant has died back to the ground after a severe frost. You should never cut hostas when they are green because the plant is still growing.

This means you will cut back hostas between late fall and early winter. when temperatures have dropped below 30 degrees F. The plant will become limp and wilted, a sign that it is time to prune it.

How to cut back hostas

After a severe frost, use pruning shears to cut off all yellowed and wilted foliage about 2 inches above the soil line. Discard the foliage rather than composting it. After cutting back the plants, prevent falling leaves from accumulating on the stems. Accumulated leaves can keep the crown too wet, causing plants to rot over winter.

For newly planted hostas, consider adding a layer of mulch to keep them from rising out of the soil with freeze-thaw cycles over the winter; remove the mulch in early spring so that the plant does not remain too wet when the first leaves appear. But be aware that mulch is not a good idea if you have a history of voles in the garden, as it provides them with a safe haven during the winter.