By Mike Isbell
University of Georgia
One bale of pine straw will cover about 50 square feet of planting bed if you spread it 3 inches thick or about 150 square feet if you apply it to a 1 inch deep.
Roots grow throughout the winter in our warm Southern soils. Fall and winter planting is best.
Do major pruning on deciduous plants (plants that lose their leaves) during the dormant winter season, before the spring growing season. There are fewer pests to invade wounds in winter, and it's easier to see the branches when there are no leaves. Delay major pruning of broadleaf evergreens until mid to late February.
Fertilizer facts
Plants growing in shade generally require less fertilizer than those grown in sun because they have a lower metabolic rate.Plants growing in sandy soils usually require more frequent fertilization than those in clay soils. The nutrients leach from sandy soils.
Fertilizing during the winter does plants little good because they're not actively manufacturing food through photosynthesis. Much of the nitrogen and potassium applied in the winter will simply leach from the soil.
Roots of ornamental plants don't go dormant as the tops of the plant do and are more easily injured by cold. So protect plants in containers during subfreezing weather.
That reminds me: I've got five plants in containers that I need to do something about. I'd better be paying attention to this myself.
(Mike Isbell is the Heard County Extension Coordinator with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.)
