Winter Gardening

Posted on July 15, 2015

As the frost starts to set in and the days have become cold and short now is the time plants start to slow down their nutrient uptake and growth. Deciduous plants have lost their leaves and become dormant and evergreen species preserve their energy with less foliage and flower production. This time of year is perfect to get into the garden and perform any major changes you have been longing for in the warmer months. Transplanting, hard winter pruning and shaping are tasks that are best done over the colder months as well as perennial pruning and mulching.

When transplanting any tree or shrub first make sure the species will tolerate root disturbance. If you have a plant that will transplant then be sure to take as much root with it as possible. Some trees will have a deep root system meaning you will need to dig quite deeply under it for best survival and some will have shallow and wide systems that will need to be accommodated for. As a general rule of thumb, expect the root system to be as wide as the canopy and when digging under the pant take up as many large roots as possible.

Perennial species by and large will thrive and do much better if given a heavy winter prune. Cutting back most perennial plants over winter will reduce woody growth, keep the plant at your preferred size, encourage a neat round growth habit and best of all encourage prolific floral displays over spring and summer.