SolveYourProblem
Hedges Article Series
I
Want To Create
The Perfect Hedge
Winterize
Your Plants and Shrubs
Once fall hits, many people think it is time
to give their green thumbs a rest. But that is definitely not
the case. Even though the blooms may be gone from your garden,
there is still a great deal that needs attending to. Doing
the proper work in the fall ensures that your plants will survive
the dangers of winter disease and damage and that you will
be rewarded with a healthier garden come spring.
If
you do not have an extensive knowledge of plants and shrubs, you may find it difficult to know which plants need winterizing
and how you should go about it. For example, many people wonder
if evergreen shrubs even need to be winterized. Most feel that
evergreens are an important part of the winter landscape and
that any attempt to winterize them would take away from their
visual impact. These kinds of shrubs can be damaged by winter
weather, so unless you are willing to risk losing your evergreens
all together you should do a few basic things to protect them
from snow and ice.
While you may be focused on protecting your perennials and
roses, your trees and shrubs need a little TLC as well. During
the fall, there is a great deal of root growth for your trees
and shrubs so you need to continue to be consistent with your
watering. On average you should be watering a tree that is
eight to ten inches in diameter, at least twenty to forty minutes
of soaking, just to ensure that all the root areas are reached.
You may also want to apply a slow-release fertilizer to your
shrubs – though you will want to test your soil level first
to see what nutrients are needed.
To
winterize evergreens, you should start with pruning. The
ideal time to prune is later in the fall, after the leaves
have fallen. If too much snow or ice builds up on the branches
they will break. Remove any small or weak branches to avoid
this kind of breakage. Your shrub will be much more likely
to withstand the winter snow and ice without them.
Next, you should place a wire
cage around the shrub. You can
use chicken wire attached to poles in the ground to build this
kind of cage. Once this cage is in place, you want to cover
the plant with burlap. This will keep out the wind and the
moisture. If you have a row of your shrubs, you can build a
tent-like or tepee structure over them using plywood and bamboo.
You want to make sure to place mulch around the base of the
shrubs. This will help to prevent any moisture loss during
the winter. Shrubs rely primarily on stored water during the
winter months so you want to do as much as possible to ensure
that the stored water stays in place and that browning does
not occur. Mulch will ensure that the plant retains its stored
water. It will also help to regulate the temperature around
the shrub. Extreme changes in temperature can put a great deal
of stress on your shrubs and disturb the root system.
All of these steps will winterize your shrubs and ensure their
health and safety during the long winter months. The steps
are simple (watering, pruning, covering and mulching), but
they will make a huge different to your shrubs and really reduce
the risk of winter damage such as breakage and browning.
If you are not partial to the idea of covering up your evergreen
shrubs, then you should try some preventive protection in the
fall. The damage that sometimes occurs to stems during the
winter months makes it difficult for shrubs to draw water.
If you water properly and consistently in the fall, then you
will help protect your shrub during the long winter months.
You can also spray shrub leaves with an anti-desiccant to help
the leave retain moisture.
Taking a bit of time and care in the fall months to protect
your shrubs will ensure a healthy spring for them. Though a
garden full of burlap sacks may not sound that appealing, consider
the beauty you will be guaranteed during the other three seasons
of the year.
