Winter Gardening Do’s and Don’ts

Do Continue to Plant

Winter is an ideal time to garden in Atlanta, and plants can thrive if the ground is soft enough to dig a hole. While they go dormant in the winter, plants require less water, and you don’t have to stress about bugs/diseases. In addition, planting in the winter allows plants to acclimate to their new home!

Do Add Pine Straw and Mulch

Pine straw and mulch offer protection around the plant base to maintain stable root temperatures. Review our Top 5 Reasons to Refresh Your Pine Straw and Mulch for more information.

Do Add Compost

Compost supplies organic nutrients to the soil that greatly aid the plant root system.

Read about our compost-based, customizable organics program, Earth Conscious Organics, to see what composting can do for your landscape.

Don’t Fertilize

Winter is for dormancy and rest – the same goes for our plants (a joke, mostly). As a plant becomes dormant, energy concentrates on the root zone. Forcing new growth in the middle of winter interrupts rejuvenation and can damage or kill new plant growth.

Don’t Skip Your Regular Watering Cycle

Watering the root zones before a predicted frost helps plants absorb and retain water before the ground freezes.

Don’t Worry About Bulb Foliage

Seriously, don’t worry. Leaves of spring-flowering bulbs should be just fine during temperature dips.