Debbie, I am west of you in Napa county. I think youÂll find your mulch to be a bit of a moving target that will break down and shift especially during the winter rains (if we get rain this winter !) and most reseeders in my experience tend to germinate early spring before I remulch. With perennials you canÂt always assume that they will in fact re-seed , some are better propagated by cuttings or divisions. I think you will also find that many of them will put on substantial growth next year and your garden may fill in more than you expect. I reapply my mulch 2 to 3 times a year , so itÂs easy to mulch around small plants , which I sometimes end up moving anyway. Can you post what some of the varieties of the perennials are that you are growing ?

Kathy in Napa

Kathy, thanks for the advice. I wasn't sure when the seeds needed to hit the ground to germinate. Here's what I have.

Sun:

Nemesia
Pinks
Echinacea (a few kinds)
Rudbeckia hirta (a few kinds)
Spanish lavender
Gaura
Hyssop (tall and blue, don't know the variety)
Corepsis Moonbeam
Salvia
Sedum Autumn Joy

Shade:
Hardy Geraniums
Columbine
huechera

These are all I can remember now.

Thanks for any advice. It's appreciated.

Debbie

Most of those listed don't lend themselves to reseeding very readily (with the possible exception of the Rudbeckia hirta, nemesia and the columbine) but most can be divided quite easily. In your climate, you can do it in either fall or early spring. I'd propagate the lavender by cuttings rather than by seed or division......it is considered more of a shrub than a perennial.

Hi Debbie, I concur with gardengal, lavender is easy to propagate by cuttings, as is Sedum , and some Salvias. Gaura will seed around, Columbine will seed too.Moonbeam C. spreads by underground runners and is easy to divide. Huecheras I think are mostly propagated by tissue culture (especially the newer varieties), and even the older ones I think need more winter chill than we have to germinate. I would keep your mulch intact , and I think you will be pleased with the size your plants attain next year.

Kathy in Napa

Must be a zonal thing as I get columbine, echinacea, hyssops, pinks and one hardy geranium that reseed quite nicely for me in mulched areas. The areas are mulched with shredded hardwood and as it breaks down it becomes almost soil-like in nature--a great propogation area.

Mulch will definitely reduce the amount of seeding that takes place. You would be better of deviding plants, or starting seed seperately and planting out the seedlings once they grow.

Keep in mind most new perennial cultivars will not come true from seed.