October in Colorado offers the perfect chance to get your garden ready for winter. Certain plants respond wonderfully to careful pruning this time of year.
These 13 selections stand out for the benefits they gain from fall trimming. Use these ideas to keep your Colorado garden healthy and vibrant.
1. Roses
October offers the perfect window to prepare these beauties for Colorado’s winter. Light pruning now removes dead or diseased canes while leaving major reshaping for spring.
Focus on removing crossed branches and anything damaged by early frosts. Colorado gardeners find this maintenance pruning helps roses conserve energy through the coming snow season.
2. Lavender
Many gardeners across Colorado make the mistake of heavy pruning lavender in fall. A gentle trim removes spent flower stalks while leaving the woody base intact for winter protection.
Wait until you see a hint of green at the base before cutting. Along Colorado’s Front Range, this October maintenance prevents winter damage while keeping your lavender compact.
3. Raspberry Canes
After the final harvest, those brown canes need to go! Cut the fruited canes right to the ground while leaving this year’s green growth for next season’s berries.
This simple maintenance prevents disease and improves air circulation. Colorado berry enthusiasts know October pruning leads to healthier plants and bigger harvests when summer returns to the Centennial State.
4. Tomatoes
Got lingering tomato plants still producing? Snip off new flowers and tiny fruits that won’t mature before frost. Redirect energy to ripening the existing tomatoes instead of wasting it on hopeless new growth.
Many Colorado gardeners also trim back leggy branches at this time. This October pruning strategy helps squeeze out those final harvests before winter settles across Colorado’s growing regions.
5. Clematis
Fall pruning for clematis depends entirely on which type you have. Group 3 varieties benefit from an October haircut, cutting stems back to about 12 inches from the ground.
Leave those Group 1 and 2 clematis alone until spring! Colorado gardeners should check plant tags before snipping. Throughout the state’s varied climate zones, proper timing prevents accidental removal of next year’s flower buds.
6. Hydrangeas
Approach hydrangeas with caution this October! Only prune the varieties that bloom on new wood, like Annabelle or PeeGee types, by cutting back by one-third.
Leave those big-leaf hydrangeas completely alone. Colorado’s mountain gardeners particularly appreciate how selective fall pruning preserves next year’s blooms while removing just enough to prevent winter breakage under heavy snow loads.
7. Perennial Herbs
Hardy herbs like sage and thyme benefit from a light October trim. Remove about one-third of the growth, focusing on leggy stems while keeping the plant’s overall shape.
This encourages bushier growth next season and prevents woody stems. Colorado herb gardeners know this technique works wonders across the state’s diverse growing conditions, from the Eastern Plains to mountain gardens.
8. Butterfly Bush
Wait until late October when Colorado nights consistently dip below freezing before tackling butterfly bushes. A light trim now removes spent flowers and prevents unwanted seeding.
Save the hard pruning for early spring. Gardeners throughout Colorado’s Front Range find this approach maintains the plant’s structure for winter interest while controlling its sometimes invasive tendency to self-seed.
9. Spirea
Give summer-blooming spireas a moderate October haircut by removing about one-third of their height. This prevents snow damage while keeping the plant’s natural form through winter.
Skip pruning spring-flowering varieties now. Throughout Colorado’s varied elevations, gardeners find this selective approach to spirea maintenance helps these versatile shrubs thrive despite challenging mountain conditions.
10. Ornamental Grasses
Resist the urge to cut ornamental grasses now! Their feathery plumes and golden colors provide winter interest and habitat for beneficial insects. Wait until late February or early March.
Simply remove any broken stalks this October. Colorado landscape designers often highlight how these grasses add movement and texture to winter gardens across the state’s snow-covered months.
11. Potentilla
These hardy shrubs respond well to October shaping in Colorado gardens. Remove no more than one-quarter of the branches, focusing on old, woody stems near the base.
This rejuvenates the plant while maintaining its overall form. From Denver’s urban landscapes to mountain towns, Colorado gardeners appreciate how this native-friendly shrub bounces back vigorously after proper fall pruning.
12. Fruit Trees
October offers a perfect opportunity to remove dead or diseased branches from Colorado fruit trees. Focus only on problematic limbs now, saving major structural pruning for late winter dormancy.
This targeted approach prevents disease spread before winter. Orchard keepers throughout Colorado’s Western Slope know that minimal fall pruning protects trees from cold damage while addressing immediate health concerns.
13. Evergreen Shrubs
Light October pruning helps junipers, arborvitae and other evergreens maintain shape through winter. Remove no more than the current season’s growth, using sharp shears for clean cuts.
Avoid heavy reshaping until spring. Colorado homeowners from Fort Collins to Durango find this conservative approach prevents winter burn while keeping these foundation plants looking tidy during the state’s snowy months.