Many Southern gardeners sit down in the winter to flip through seed catalogs, hot coffee in hand and visions of spring blooms in their heads. Seasoned green thumbs, however, know that cold-weather dormancy, when weeds have retreated, provides a prime opportunity to reshape, redefine, and regain control—with nary a mosquito in sight. We asked experts across the region what tasks they’re tackling to get ahead of the growing season.
Coppicing
Expert: Jenks Farmer, garden curator and author of Secrets of Southern Gardening: Pro Tips for Success
Location: Columbia, South Carolina
Coppicing is a winter pruning technique that involves cutting certain woody plants that grow really fast in spring and summer—willow, purple catalpa, elderberry, beautyberry, butterfly bush—right down to the ground. “Coppicing accomplishes two things,” Farmer says. “It makes large leaves much larger and makes things that flower on new wood flower a whole lot more.” He notes that while the coppicing of backyard catalpa trees was historically known to make it easier to pick off catalpa caterpillars (aka “catfish candy,” prized fishing bait), in refined gardens the same technique yields tropical-looking leaves that are sometimes gold or purple.
Amending soil
Expert: Mary Weber, director of horticulture, Cheekwood Estate & Gardens
Location: Nashville
“Even though plant material may be dormant during the winter months, improving soil structure is a must to assure a solid foundation for a healthy and vibrant garden and lawn come spring,” Weber says. This requires several tasks, foremost the adding of compost and mulch to landscape beds and turf. “Leaf mold and grass clippings provide essential soil nutrients, while mulching provides insulation from severe weather,” she adds. Weber also advises soil testing (to discover any missing macronutrients), fertilizing with phosphorus (to promote strong root development), and aerating lawns (to improve oxygen, nutrient, and water flow).
Watering before freezes
Expert: Brandy Hall, founder of Shades of Green Permaculture and author of The Complete Guide to Home Permaculture
Location: Avondale Estates, Georgia
Somewhat counterintuitively, Hall says, “Watering your garden deeply before a freeze actually helps because moist soil holds heat better than dry soil. That’s because when temps drop, water in the soil releases stored warmth more slowly, creating a buffering effect that reduces the shock that can damage roots, especially during overnight cold snaps.” This is most helpful for perennials, trees, shrubs, new plantings, cold-hardy vegetables (e.g., kale, carrots, collards, and broccoli), and any plants on the edge of their hardiness zone. Most native plants, though, are well adapted to freezes.
Hall recommends watering twelve to twenty-four hours before a freeze, ideally during the warmest part of the day to give plants time to absorb moisture. “Deep watering isn’t about flooding your garden,” Hall adds. “Generally speaking, water until the soil is moist roughly six to twelve inches deep, which can take thirty to sixty minutes with a soaker hose or slow drip. Watering by hand should be slow and steady with a standard garden hose, about sixty to ninety seconds per plant. The goal is even moisture, not soggy soil.” Note: Don’t water ground that is already frozen. Hall also doesn’t recommend watering container plants or where soil doesn’t drain well.
Applying dormant sprays
Expert: Jason Powell, operator (with wife Shelley) of nursery and gardening center Petals from the Past
Location: Jemison, Alabama
One of the ways Powell gets a head start caring for ornamental trees, fruit trees, and shrubs is by applying dormant sprays—horticultural oil, copper, and sulfur. “Dormant sprays target pests such as aphids, leafhoppers, mealybugs, mites, and codling moth, and diseases including apple and pear scab, bacterial blight, fire blight, and leaf spots,” Powell says. “We prefer to use products that have low toxicity, and dormant sprays fit the bill.” He recommends a schedule of applying copper spray in early December to knock back bacteria and fungal spores; sulfur spray in early January; and horticultural oil two weeks later to take out overwintering insects. (Beneficial insects aren’t normally around trees in the dormant season.) In early to mid-February, apply a second round of copper spray before buds begin to open.
Notes: If the December spray was missed, the January application is the most critical, and it’s still important also to make the final spray. Don’t mix copper and sulfur in the same sprayer, and spray when temperatures are above freezing and before bud break.
Planting
Expert: Tray Simpson, general manager of Bedford Greenhouses
Location: Augusta, Georgia
For those located in USDA plant hardiness zones 7b or warmer, which encompasses much of the Southeast, Simpson’s advice is simple—continue to plant trees and shrubs throughout the dormant season. “The beauty of the South is that the winters are mild enough, without intense ground freezes,” he says. Evergreen trees and conifers love cooler weather anyway, and Simpson says it’s also okay to plant maples, magnolias, and even azalea bushes. “Getting them in the ground now while still semi-dormant sets you up for success; they’re not going to go into shock when it’s suddenly a hundred degrees in early June. I prefer to plant early so that I’m not chasing around with a hose later.” He does caution to not fertilize those new plantings until early spring so that they aren’t nudged toward new growth in case of a late cold snap.
Steve Russell is a Garden & Gun contributing editor who also has written for Men’s Journal, Life, Rolling Stone, and Playboy. Born in Mississippi and raised in Tennessee, he resided in New Orleans and New York City before settling down in Charlottesville, Virginia, because it’s far enough south that biscuits are an expected component of a good breakfast.
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