Winter (Dec-Mar)

Planting

• Continue to plant shade trees, shrubs, and ornamental trees in early winter so they’re ready for the forthcoming seasons.
• Trees and plants will enter dormancy between late November and early January, which is the best time to relocate them without causing too much damage.
• Plant annuals tha growo in the cool-season like flowering kale, pansies, cyclamen, violas, cabbage, daffodils, etc.
• Divide and replant perennials like daylily and iris.
• Early December is a good time to plant fruit trees and evergreen shrubs. It’s also a good time to plant holiday season plants like poinsettias, amaryllis, cyclamens, and paperwhite narcissus, etc.
• Start planting bare-root plants like fruit and nut trees in January and sow seeds in containers for spring season plants to get an early start.
• Early spring blooming species can be planted in late February so start with dianthus, alyssum, petunias, etc.

Pruning

• Prune evergreen trees and shrubs like wax myrtles, live oaks, magnolias, etc, to reduce ice damage in early December.
• Reshape evergreen shrubs and do major reshaping of shade trees after they go dormant in December.
• Always prune carefully and don’t “top” trees and shrubs. Don’t leave stubs as that can compromise the health of the plant and lead to frostbite.
• Complete all pruning of oak trees before February 15 to reduce the risk of oak wilt infestation.
• Prune to remove dead wood from shade trees and shrubs in order to maintain their shape.
• Complete the pruning process on pecan trees before the first spring bud break. It’s also a good idea to prune tall Nandinas every two years to control their growth.
• All standard roses should be pruned by about 50% before the spring bloom. Make sure this process is complete by mid-February.

Caring for plants

• Water live Christmas trees and holiday plants carefully and regularly.
• Check all indoor and household plants for pest infestations. Be on the lookout for fungus gnats, spider mites, whitefly, scale, and mealybugs.
• Fertilize all winter annuals in early December to ensure they thrive during the season. Make sure the plants are watered well before the hard freeze to protect the plants from damage.
• Water outdoor plants when the soil is dry to make sure the roots aren’t damaged by hard and compacted soil.
• Continue to mulch and clear the lawn or garden of foliage to protect it from pest infestation.
• Fertilize cool season grass by the end of February and apply pre-emergent herbicides to protect the grass from warm season weeds that can emerge in March.