THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 11, 1994 TAG: 9412090112
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ROBERT STIFFLER
LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
WINTER CAN be hard on plants. They need plenty of moisture going into the season, which our wet fall should've helped, but now is the time to take steps to make sure your plants survive.
``Even though plants are dormant during winter, they can suffer considerable stress from environmental effects if proper precautions are not taken,'' says Dr. E.G. Corbett, an extension horticulturist in Connecticut, where winters are particularly severe. ``Don't let winter snow, winds, cold and ice damage or kill your favorite trees and shrubs.''
Winter damage to plants in your landscape could include drying (dessication) of the leaves of evergreen plants and the twigs and stems of deciduous plants; freezing injury to buds, stems and roots; damage by snow and ice loads on shrubs; and root damage from frost heaving. There also is the problem of mice and rabbits feeding on plants and causing girdling of the bark, which can kill the plant the next summer.
Precautions for protecting your plants include:
When setting out broad-leaf evergreens, such as ligustrum, holly and rhododendron, avoid windy, exposed sites.
If you have plants that are not adapted to this climate, such as silver dollar eucalyptus, give them added protection. This includes extra mulch or building a canvas or burlap tent around the plant, leaving only the top open.
Many plant losses blamed on a hard winter can be attributed to a lack of water during the fall. We've had adequate rain during the last 30 days, but September and October were very dry. Newly transplanted shrubs and trees should be watched carefully and watered regularly and deeply. Do this until the ground freezes, which is usually mid-January.
If a heavy snow hits, remove the white stuff as it accumulates or build structures to protect the plant from a snow load. If snow slides off a roof onto a plant, it can break limbs. When you remove snow from evergreens, be sure to work from under the branches and out from the trunk, so you do not apply additional weight to the plant.
If you have rhododendrons that get wind-burned, many gardeners spray them now and again during a winter thaw with Wilt-Pruf or Cloud Cover. Wilt-Pruf is an anti-transpirant that slows down water loss from plant leaves.
Take steps to prevent frost heaving, which often hurts perennials. Apply mulch around those plants. Corbett recommends waiting until the ground freezes to do this, but in this area, it can be done now. Most plants have quit growing and can be cut back to ground level. Then apply 3 inches of bark or pine straw mulch. by CNB