Preserving Plants in the Winter

While winter is the perfect time to add holiday decorations to the house, it is also the perfect time to preserve the garden that took long, hot days of hard work to perfect. Here are a few ways to ensure that your hard work will not be wasted by the snowy season:

1.) Protect your plants with timely fertilization. If you adequately fertilized your shrubs, lawn, and ground cover plantings in the early spring or early summer, and they look healthy and have grown well over the summer, fertilizer may not be needed in the early fall. Otherwise, you should fertilize your plants no later than mid-fall. Later fertilizations are likely to make your plants less dormant in growth during the winter and more vulnerable to cold damage.

2.) Pruning is another helpful fall activity for garden preservation. It is important to remove shoots or branches to shape your plants. For shrubs or trees that bloom from November through April, however, extreme pruning will eliminate their next flower displays. If extensive pruning is necessary, it is best to prune as soon as possible. There may be enough time for the plants to grow and set new flower buds, but that is not guaranteed. Thus, it’s crucial to remove shoots or branches with discretion.

3.) Cover up your sensitive plants. While keeping your plants’ cold temperature tolerance in mind, it is wise to cover up your plants when a light freeze occurs. You can use a flannel sheet or burlap to cover the foliage and the ground surrounding the plant.

4.) Know your plants. While you are out looking for seeds and plants in the spring or summer, keep in mind what temperatures certain plants can withstand. This can prevent you from wasting your money and energy on planting the wrong type of plants for your gardening preferences.

Certain plants may not survive during the winter no matter what you do, but don’t lose faith. The techniques above will help you save the parts of your garden that can survive in the winter.