Wintertime is here! At the time I am writing this it is 18 degrees, and it feels like 8 degrees. I feel the chill and I certainly know my garden does. While the cold is rough on my me and my plants, but winter gardening is manageable. I have already taken my precautions and gotten my yard and house ready for the cold that has come. What I did not expect to have to prepare for was the 12-14 inches of snow my area received about a week ago. I have a list of what I do every year before any big snowfall we might get, and I’ll run through that here now for you.
First, I like to do a general assessment of my garden. One of the biggest issues with winter gardening is snowfall. When it comes to plants, the weight of the snow can impact them quite a bit. It can weigh down branches and cause them to break or even smother smaller plants. There is also the issue of frost damage that can come from the extreme cold that comes with the snow cover. So, once my problem areas are identified, there are a few different ways I can go about ensuring my plants are protected.
One of the best ways to protect my garden from the snow is to use a covering of some kind. That can mean a lot of different things. I can add a layer of mulch or hay around the base of shrubs and trees to help protect their roots. This will help insulate them from the cold and prevent the deep frost from setting in and causing damage. You can also use something like a tarp or burlap to cover plants’ branches to help with wind damage the weight of snow from breaking or damaging them. Sometimes, with smaller perennials closer to the ground people will use small wooden structures, glass jars, or even buckets over top. A few 5-gallon buckets sitting in your yard won’t look the best, but this winter gardening tip will help prevent the damage you’re looking to avoid. The smaller plants are in more danger of being smothered and dying completely.
Another good winter gardening method that I personally like to use is staking. I install stakes around the shrubs and trees in my yard that are on the more vulnerable side to help them support the weight of the snow. I typically will use either bamboo or metal poles and I will simply put up the stake and then attach the branch with some twine and now it will have much more support than it did before. I also like to tie together the smaller branches where I can on my shrubs. When they’re tied together, they hold up to the weight better and have a lower chance of breaking. I just make sure I am careful not to overstretch my shrubs so they can return to their original shape when I untie them.
Finally, the number one piece of winter gardening advice I have for you homeowners and plant enthusiasts who want to help your gardens survive is probably my least fun piece of advice. The best thing you can do for them is to shovel the snow off them the best you can before too much damage is done. The other methods I suggested help but that doesn’t always prevent all the problems. Staked branches can still sometimes break and a perennial with a 5-gallon bucket on top isn’t getting any sunlight. It might not be smothered but it won’t last forever without the sun. I don’t know if you have ever shoveled plants, but it isn’t easy as I am sure you can imagine. The driveway is hard enough and now I must figure out how to shovel off my boxwoods that line my porch. It is a pain, but it is worth it to me and the health of my garden. If you have questions about winter gardening, or for more information, stop into one of our stores or give us a call! Happy gardening everyone! Happy shoveling everyone!
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