Winter dormancy is an important season in the garden. While growth slows and many plants rest during the cooler months, winter is far from a dormant time for gardeners. It is the season for cleanup, maintenance, planning, and preparing the landscape for a healthy spring.
At Details Landscape Art, we encourage homeowners to use the winter months to tidy up the garden and address maintenance tasks that are often overlooked during the busy growing season.
Winter dormancy in the garden
Winter Dormancy and Garden Cleanup
As deciduous trees drop their leaves, gardens can quickly become cluttered with fallen foliage. Raking leaves helps keep the landscape neat while reducing the potential for mold, fungus, and pests that may develop in wet, decaying plant material.
Winter is also an excellent time to inspect the garden for broken branches, damaged plants, clogged drains, irrigation issues, or other maintenance concerns that may have gone unnoticed during the growing season.
A clean garden entering spring is easier to maintain and often looks more attractive throughout the year.
Winter Dormancy and Pruning
Winter is one of the best times to evaluate the structure of many trees and shrubs. Once deciduous trees lose their leaves, the branching pattern becomes visible, making it easier to identify dead, damaged, crossing, or crowded branches.
Many plants benefit from pruning during the dormant season. Trees such as crape myrtles bloom on new growth and often respond well to winter pruning.
For a more detailed discussion of proper pruning techniques, see our separate article on Winter Pruning.
One of the hidden pleasures of winter is the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of bare branches. Trees such as the coral bark Japanese maple ‘Sango Kaku’ display striking red twigs during the dormant season and can even provide attractive cut branches for holiday arrangements.
Winter Dormancy and Lawn Care
Although lawns are growing more slowly during winter, they still benefit from proper care.
We recommend applying a quality cool-season fertilizer to strengthen the root system and encourage healthy spring growth. A strong root system during winter often translates into a thicker, greener lawn when warmer weather returns.
Winter is also a good time to inspect sprinkler systems, repair damaged heads, and make adjustments before the growing season begins.
Protecting Frost-Tender Plants
Winter dormancy is also the time to pay attention to frost-tender plants.
Plants such as Coleonema ‘Golden Sunset’, Tibouchina (Princess Flower), and Lantana may benefit from frost protection during periods of unusually cold weather. Frost cloth products can provide protection during moderate freezes, particularly when temperatures are expected to remain below freezing for multiple nights.
Container-grown citrus trees can often be moved beneath an overhang or into a protected location during severe cold spells.
Fortunately, Sonoma County winters are generally mild, and most established landscape plants tolerate normal winter conditions quite well.
Fertilizing During Winter Dormancy
Gardeners often debate whether fertilizing during winter dormancy is worthwhile.
While many plants are not actively growing during the coldest months, our relatively mild Northern California climate means that some root activity often continues throughout the winter. For this reason, we typically apply fertilizer at least once or twice between late fall and early spring.
Healthy soil and adequate nutrients help prepare plants for vigorous growth when warmer temperatures return.
Looking Ahead to Spring
Winter dormancy may appear quiet on the surface, but important activity is taking place beneath the soil and within the plants themselves. Roots continue to develop, buds begin forming, and the garden quietly prepares for another growing season.
For homeowners, winter offers the perfect opportunity to clean up, prune, fertilize, and protect valuable plant material before spring arrives.
A little attention during winter dormancy can lead to a healthier, more beautiful garden throughout the year.