The growth of plants is at its lowest during the month of December, but that does not mean the garden is inactive. Below the surface, there is a lot going on ... bulbs pushing their noses ever nearer the surface, trees and shrubs making new roots in moist soil, earthworms making compost from leaf litter, and you, looking ahead and making plans!
Now is the time to lift and divide those perennial plants that may have outgrown their space or maybe they aren’t flowering as well as they should be due to overcrowding. Shrubs and trees that are in the wrong place and were screaming to be moved earlier in the year can all be moved during this dormant season.
The late dormant season is best for most pruning. Pruning in late winter, just before spring growth starts, leaves fresh wounds exposed for only a short length of time before new growth begins the wound sealing process. Another advantage of dormant pruning is that it’s easier to make pruning decisions without leaves obscuring plant branch structure. Pruning at the proper time can avoid certain disease and physiological problems.
