Just like people, it’s important for trees, shrubs, and roses to get some rest. That’s what dormant season is all about. Just as there’s a season for blooming, there’s a season for pruning and trimming, which is best when most plants are dormant.
Whether you are gardening in small spaces or have a vast yard of sculpted landscaping, consider these best practices when caring for trees, shrubs, and roses through winter.
It all starts with pruning, and it’s all about the timing.
When and How to Prune Shrubs
Pruning trees and shrubs during winter and spring –– before new sprouts begin to shoot –– allows healthier growth in warmer temperatures.
Growing hydrangeas, dogwoods, roses, or clematis? Prune these (and other) flowering shrubs in late winter or early spring, before the new shoots come out.
For full-flowering shrubs, late spring and early-to-mid summer are good times to clip off dead and shriveled flowers from azaleas, laurels, forsythia, and lilacs.
Pruning timing is important because if you cut blooms off too early, you will damage the plant.
But how much to prune? During the pruning season, trim about a third of your established plant’s good wood. Trim any more, and you risk shocking your plant or stunting its growth. Trim less than one-third, and you won’t see a noticeable difference in your plant’s growth.
How to Care for Your Trees
Deciduous shade trees, like maples and oaks, are easier to clip in late winter and early spring, before new growth covers up the shape. Prune evergreen shrubs, like holly, yew, and boxwoods, while they are still dormant in February or March.
Falling leaves are a sign your trees are entering dormant season, but don’t let those leaves blanket your lawn. Rake up, blow, mulch, or hire a leaf removal crew to get rid of leaves in fall, winter, or spring. Here’s why: a layer of leaves can smother your grass, leading to lawn diseases and havens for pests.
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Water Roses Less in Dormant Season
Your showy, colorful roses will go dormant when cold weather arrives. Stems will turn brittle and dry and the bark will turn brown or gray.
Your roses still need water during dormant season, but less of it. Water deeply and more frequently 3 to 4 times a week so the soil doesn’t dry out.
During dormant season for roses, watch out for powdery mildew or black spots.
Protect Your Plants from the Cold
For extra protection from the cold, lay wood chips, mulch, straw, or other organic coverings around tree trunks and roots.
As hardy as some plants are, dormant rose bushes do better in winter with burlap coverings wrapped around them.
Bottom line: Protect any tender vegetation – young trees, bushes, and roses – ahead of any severe cold or deep freeze.
Cover Roots with a Layer of Mulch
Winter weather can be tough on tree and shrub roots. Cover roots with 3 to 4 inches of mulch, about 6 inches away from the trunk. Spreading mulch over the roots helps to keep new roots from girdling the tree.
The freeze-thaw cycle in fall or spring pushes the soil around the roots to expand, which can split and damage them. Adding 4 to 6 inches of mulch prevents frost heaving.
Keep Away Pests with Oils
Petroleum-based horticultural oils are pesticides that control mites, aphids, and other hungry bugs that chew on dormant plants. Also called “dormant oil,” it controls some diseases and kills off pest eggs before they hatch in the spring.
Another option? Neem oil is an organic botanical pesticide that protects against egg-laying and feeding of emerging insects, mites, and fungal spores. Neem oil is generally safe for bees, birds, butterflies, and other pollinators. When applying neem and other horticultural oils, be sure to follow package instructions.
Dormant Season Plant Care Tips
- Clip off dead and unwanted sprouts on a dry day — wet foliage may spread disease.
- Prune when temperatures are above 32 degrees.
- Take out diseased and dead branches first.
- Thin out overgrown limbs and branches to allow light and air to flow through.
- Clean and sanitize pruning tools to prevent spread of fungi and disease.
- Place mesh or wooden fencing around young trees and shrubs.
- Bring potted plants indoors.
Weekend warriors and gardening aficionados like us are always thinking of ways to make our outdoor oasis bloom with greenery and color. What blooms in spring begins with the care of putting plants to bed during the dormant season.
Put a few hours of prep work in during fall, winter, and early spring, and your trees, bushes, and roses will be ready when the weather warms up! Grab your pruning shears and gardening gloves. The end result will be beautiful.
I bet you, like me, can imagine the smell of your roses come springtime.
Written by Teri Silver
About the Author
Teri Silver has been a freelance writer for LawnStarter, which now offers bush trimming services. Silver and her husband live on 5 acres with a vast lawn, three gardens, a farm, a pond, many trees, and a lot of yard work. Teri says the best parts of the year are summer and fall, when homegrown veggies are on the dinner table.
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