You’ve filled the oil tank, dusted off your winter jackets and pulled out your mittens, raked the leaves, stored away your lawn mower, and pulled out your snow shovels. You may have forgotten one important thing before winter kicks in, though. Have you protected your shrubs?
Plants go through various changes with every season, and careful care to their needs ensures they will survive a potentially harsh, cold, or snowy season.
Have no fear. Some simple steps can be taken to prevent your shrubs from succumbing to ice, snow, or critter damage.
Shrubs go into a dormant period starting in late fall to conserve their energy for the winter. Some plants, termed deciduous, lose their leaves as part of starting to bed themselves into a sort of hibernation. Evergreen plants, which also go into hibernation, retain green leaves or needles all year long. These include plants such as rhododendrons, azaleas, and pines.
In some years, the earlier you can offer your plants protection, the better. Early cold snaps can damage plants that are not quite ready for the harsh climate, especially evergreens.
So, how can you best protect your shrubs ?
First and foremost, purchase shrubs that are hardy for our climate here in the north-central Massachusetts corridor. A plant designed to withstand the kind of cold we experience will fare better than anything of a tropical nature or one that simply isn’t suited to be planted here to begin with. Evergreens, even if rated as hardy for our area, have a more successful chance if they have smaller leaves, because they have less chance of snow and ice sticking to the shrub, and the wind will affect them less.
Buy or build a shrub guard. Shrub guards are A-frame structures that are usually hinged at the top and placed directly over the shrub. These are especially useful under roof overhangs where snow and ice may fall off roofs, crashing down on tender shrubs. If oriented in the right direction, they also help to protect against some wind damage that may occur. Another wind-barrier trick is to create a protective shield from the wind by either wrapping the shrub up loosely in burlap or staking a guard using fence posts and a roll of sturdy burlap. If you can prevent it, don’t plant broadleaf evergreens such as rhododendrons in high wind areas.
Prune any dead or diseased branches (don’t confuse the mossy growth lichen with a form of disease; it’s harmless). Prune branches that have a probability of touching the ground when loaded with ice and snow. Try not to prune living branches too close to the winter months as it will encourage growth at a time when shrubs should be going dormant.
For evergreens, use an antidesiccant such as Wilt Stop. Evergreens are particularly susceptible to the dangers of cold. When people see what looks like a burned-out evergreen, they generally assume it’s the colder temperatures that freeze them solid, but it’s often the plant dehydrating. This usually happens during spring when the snow thaws and the air temperature begins to rise, but the roots are still in a dormant state. The plant starts to expel water through its leaves but can’t absorb moisture through the roots quickly enough and dehydrates itself. This process can also happen during a mid-winter warm spell. The anti-desiccant provides a harmless waxy coat that prevents the expulsion of that moisture prematurely. Make sure to re-apply every few weeks, when temperatures are above freezing.
Insulate your shrubs by spreading a layer of mulch or straw over the root structure of the plant, trying to stay away from piling it around the trunk of the shrub. Insulating prevents deeper roots from freezing solid, so the plants can still accept moisture and nutrients.
Wrap trees with a commercial tree wrap. This is especially important for trees. During particularly difficult winters when food is scarce, animals will often choose unusual sources of food, which could include the tender bark of younger trees. A wrap allows the plant or tree to breathe while protecting against animals chewing off the bark.
All of the products listed above can be found at better lawn and garden centers.
By following many of these steps you can help to ensure healthier and more robust plants when the spring comes after the long winter.
Matt Landry helps manage Great Road Farm and Garden in Littleton.
