"Ferns have a better survival rate by not cutting back till right before they come back up".
Do you leave brown ferns until new heads appear in the spring? I've let them go wild and I've mowed them back, I've never noticed a difference in the next years growth. I'm interested in your experience. I cut them back when it gets at or near frost because they're ugly dead, but I've never seen a noticeable difference next year
"Also I find that Echinacea do better if you cut back no lower then 6 inches."
Mine don't care... I have edge beds with borders that I cant mow over and those that don't have borders that I do mow. For me, the ones I mow do better.. but it probably has more to do with drainage and sun exposure (and maybe mulching leaves with the mower while I'm cutting) that is the cause of different performance
