Calm Your Winter Worries

Are freezing temperatures and blowing snow giving you gardening nightmares? Well, relax. Even in areas with deep snow you can prevent plant damage. In fact, snow cover can become your friend -- not your enemy. Below are nine tips to help your plants survive winter to bring spring splendor

Cold Temperatures

Plunging temperatures make every gardener worry about the safety of their plants. To avoid damage from the cold, choose plants hardy in your area -- they will tolerate average winter temperatures better. You should also place those plants more vulnerable to the cold in protected areas. And if you have some plants that don't like the cold temps, then take some extra steps to protect them, such as laying down extra mulch, or covering plants with sheets or cloth.

Mulch over tender perennials

The North Central Regional Horticultural Extension recommends you put down a 4-inch winter mulch after the ground freezes two inches deep. This layer of mulch will help protect perennials and help tender plants survive the winter. (MY Note- This is a hard call for me, as the ground may not even freeze two inches deep. But, I do caution you not to mulch too early-as weather patterns seem to be changing- we need to readjust some of our seasonal clocks/calenders)

Mulch Root Area of Larger Plants

Cover or wrap plants and shrubs with cloth to insulate them. Don't use plastic as it suffocates the plants and will raise and lower their temperatures too quickly. And don't remove natural snow cover, because believe it or not, it insulates plants and roots from the cold.

Snow and Ice Buildup on Plants

Leave natural snowfall on plants alone. It will insulate plants and help prevent moisture loss. However, sometimes heavy, wet snowfalls can break limbs, so you should remove snow if it gets too heavy. But be careful because frigid temperatures can make limbs brittle.

Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do about an ice storm. If you have plants that are in drip zones, like under roof eves, you can place temporary shelters over plants to prevent damaging snow and ice buildup.

Extra snow buildup can also occur when snow is removed from walkways, driveways and streets. Take care not overload plants when removing snow from these areas. If you have plants in the snowplow zone, make sure they are varieties that can handle large amounts of snow or don't mind being completely buried.

Salt Damage

Salt damage occurs to plants when salt is used to melt ice and snow on driveways and walkways. It is also caused when salt is used on your streets, and then tossed onto plants by snowplows. To prevent damage from salt, use alternatives such as sand, kitty litter or an environmentally friendly salt mixture to de-ice walkways and driveways. Place only extra hardy plants in your snowplow zone, and avoid those varieties that are highly susceptible to salts.

Limb Breakage

Limb breakage generally occurs when thick layers of ice coat branches, or heavy snows weigh them down. To avoid heavy build up, carefully remove snow -- when possible -- and wrap or cover plants such as evergreens. You can also place temporary structures over valuable plants to protect them from snow and ice build up.

If damage occurs, remove broken branches and prune appropriately. Gary Johnson, associate professor of Urban Forestry at the University of Minnesota, says "storm damage is high when treesaren't pruned properly. When you prune trees properly, they develop strong stems and will withstand storm damage better."

Wind and Moisture Loss

Strong winds can cause plants to lose moisture in the winter. To avoid moisture loss, mulch around roots and cover or wrap plants with cloth. Don't forget to leave natural snow build up. In some climates, you can water plants occasionally to prevent moisture loss.

Winter Pests

The biggest pest problems during the winter are caused by animals nibbling on trees and shrubs. There are a number of ways to prevent damage from pests, such as using environmentally safe products that repel pests, wrapping tree trunks with protective materials and placing fencing around valuable plants. You can also try leaving out food for the animals so they won't be tempted to eat your plants.(MY note- squirrels are my number one pest- to deter them from digging up and eating ALL my bulbs, I use the flats that annuals come in from the nurseries, the ones with the diamond grid pattern on the bottom, and invert these upside-down over the areas I want to protect- I secure them in place with heavy wire plant tag holders, but rebar or coat hangers would work too)

Container Gardening

Many people enjoy planting in containers as a large part of their gardening. If you have perennials in containers or pots, you should move them into the garage or a shed during the winter. If you don't, the soil can freeze and kill the plants. If you don't have a garage, add a layer of mulch around and over containers to protect plants, or move them indoors when temperatures are severe. (MY note- here in the Pacific Northwest we are lucky to have mild enough winters that we can leave our containers outside- in fact I have many of my containers filled with evergreen plants such as varigated ivies, heathers, purple-leaved heucheras, bamboo, dianthus, and sedges to provide interest all year round. I do place some of more valuable containers in a shed to protect the POT from weather damage that can occur from freezing and thawing- so I make sure I plant only annuals and bulbs in those ones)

Protecting Tender Plants

Very tender plants are those that aren't native and hardy to your area. If you have tender plants you want to save, you will need to move them indoors or replace them in the spring. You can also pot up tender plants and bring them inside to survive the winter. (MY note-This seems like a lot of work to me, I do save some of my very special tender perennials in my greenhouse, as I don’t have that much room inside, –to me it just seems simpler to start most of my tender plants from seed in the spring)

Roses

"Winter is not [generally] a problem for roses if you have the right variety -- especially if they were grown from their own roots," says Andrew Schulman of Country Lane Gardens in Seattle. "However, you can cover roses 2 to 3 inches with a composted, organic material." Many antique and climbing roses are very hardy and don't require special attention. However in some climates with severe winters, roses need to be buried in a trench to survive the winter. Tree roses are very susceptible to cold, so they may need to be covered or buried. (MY note- the exception to this is the mini-roses grown in pots- though many of them are hardy if planted in the ground- those in pots will usually succumb to late winter/early spring frosts. You can either plunge the pot in the ground, place it in a frost-free place, or buy new roses come spring)

When in doubt, it is best to consult your local horticulturist or garden center to know what is best for protecting plants in your climate.

Shari Brennan has been a professional freelance writer and consultant for more than 10 years. She has a degree in landscape architecture, and has owned and managed interior and exterior landscaping companies. Despite her busy schedule, she always finds time to work in her yard.