Gifford Garden Notes
Helping your plants get through the winter.
by Diane Fagergren
This is my first episode of "Gifford Garden Notes" and I thought it would be a good time to talk a little about what you can be doing to help your plants get through the winter. The recent snowfall acts as a great insulator, forming a thermal blanket over your plants. It helps to protect them from the freezing and thawing that goes on all winter long. This action can actually heave or lift your plants out of the ground, tearing and exposing their roots to drying and damaging winds. Newly planted perennials are more likely to suffer than established ones. Placing a layer of evergreen boughs over the plants is another method used to shelter them in winters with little snowfall. By covering them, you will help maintain a constant ground temperature. This is also a great way to recycle your Christmas tree!
Add an extra thickness of mulch to the base of borderline hardy plants, making sure not to cover their crowns. This will help to protect their root systems and prevent damage due to severe deep freezing. Some gardeners also let nature take its course and allow the leaves that have dropped during the fall to remain until spring. I find that oak and beech leaves cause the least amount of damage if left on the gardens for the winter. They do not mat down or exclude necessary air circulation around plants. Because they break down very slowly, they should be removed in the spring.
It is also advisable to watch for damage on evergreen shrubs and trees due to heavy wet snows. Foundation plants can be broken by snow sliding off the roof. A tepee type structure placed over these plants can help protect them from such occurrences. Before the snow freezes, it should be removed from the branches by pushing them up gently with a broom or a rake. This will help stop the limbs from snapping off. You can even tie up evergreen branches so that they do not spread apart and break.
I would also keep an eye out for any deer damage. They have started to browse in my yard. If there is a warm spell, I would re-apply deer repellents. Cornell recommends that this be done every 5 to 6 weeks. Make sure to read the labels and watch the temperatures outside. They will not be effective if used at the improper time. There is a product called Deer Solution that can be applied down to 10 degrees F. Friends of mine have had success with hanging strips of fabric soaked in an egg based repellent around the perimeter of their garden. This is supposed to have a bad odor that will keep the deer away. I am going to try this and I'll let you know how it works.
Gifford Garden Archives, January 2003 - present
Gifford Garden Archives, July 2001 - January 2003