Before winter arrives, it is important to learn how to protect your outdoor plants. Secure the plants in your garden to prevent the cold weather of winter from destroying your lovely garden creation.
Mulching
The first and most effective way of protecting outdoor plants during winters is mulch. Mulch is anything that is used to cover the ground or soil. It can be shredded leaves, grass clipping, pine needles, newspapers, wood chips, or a combination of these. Mulching is done to deal with excess moisture in the soil during winter. It also serves as a protection layer from the sudden change in temperature or the freezing cold, easily damaging sensitive plants. Apply mulch on all surfaces of your garden where the plant grows.
Moving Plants in Pots
If you have sensitive plants on pots, it is best to move them before winter. Move these plants to a more sheltered part of your garden. To save time and energy, only choose the sensitive plants to move. You do not have to move all of them since there are types of plants built to withstand winter’s effects. Make sure that you have full knowledge about the plants in your garden and move those sensitive to the freezing weather.
Protect Sensitive Trees
Trees with thin bark need to be protected, or else they will be damaged or injured when winter comes. You can protect such trees with staking. This is done by placing a support material near the tree and wrapping them together. The support will help prevent the tree from being injured. This process is also advisable for newly planted trees or big plants in the garden. Check the stability of the plant if it needs staking. If you see that the base is not steady when you shake it, staking is required.
Winter Watering
It may sound pointless to water plants during the cold days, but the same with other seasons, regular watering should also be done during winter. The soil in your garden tends to lose a great amount of water during cold weather, especially when it is windy. Thus, it is necessary to water the plant to ensure it is enough to keep them healthy and maintain proper soil moisture. The moisture in the soil helps maintain the right temperature during cold weather. This is because moist soil holds more heat compared to dry soil.
Use of Frost Cloth
You need to assess your plants to determine which one should be covered with a frost cloth. The cloth should be properly placed on the plant, dropping all the way to the ground. Make sure that you put something on the frost cloth to keep the fabric in place. And when it comes to the material, it is best to get one made of breathable material. This prevents moisture from forming inside the cloth, which usually happens when you use plastic. The moisture inside could freeze and result in damage to your plant.
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