Don't Hedge Your Bets: Winterize Those 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.