3 Tips for a New Year Landscape Reset
January is the quietest month in the landscape— and one of the most important. Winter may feel like a break for the yard, but it’s actually the ideal time to reset your landscape and get ahead of spring growth. While plants are dormant, we can safely clean, shape, and prepare the property for a healthy spring.
Clean up is one of the best uses of garden time in January!
Remove dead leaves, branches, and dried up perennials, along with any winter weeds in bed areas.
Dormant Pruning can safely begin this month, but be sure to conclude by the end of February if you are pruning more than ½ of a plant.
DO NOT prune Spring-blooming shrubs until after they complete their blooming period.
Cut low-hanging or unruly limbs that impede mowing or walking paths.
Remove crossing branches in trees and large shrubs.
Plants to prune in January:
Fruiting trees, Roses, Hydrangea paniculata (NOT Mophead Hydrangeas!!!), Crape Myrtle, Vitex, Peony stalks, and others.
Having a plentiful layer of mulch will aid in moisture retention and weed prevention in bed areas. Spread Pine straw, or a ground wood mulch of your choice, to clean bed areas before the temperatures begin to rise.
A winter reset sets the stage for the entire year. Time spent on cleanup and proper pruning now helps prevent disease, improves plant shape, and allows your landscape to leaf out cleanly and beautifully when warm weather returns, which means stronger growth and less maintenance later.
