Owning a garden is a beautiful thing because it comes with a lot of rewards. It also comes with a lot of responsibilities and, the same way that you have to get informed and get recommendations when you buy food for your dog, you have to get informed when it comes to taking care of your plants.
If you look at your plants like your babies, the same way you do when it comes to your dog, the way you will take care of them will make them grow and thrive and you will get to be very proud of your accomplishments. Helping them stay safe during winter is one of the most important things you can do to show them how much you care.
How can cold weather damage your plants?
First of all, different plants react to cold differently, but most of them can experience damage to the roots, they can get foliar damage and some of them may even die if the weather is too cold for their needs.
With some plants, you can see the effects of low temperatures within a few days after the plant has been damaged. They usually turn black, but in other cases, the damage can be spotted only weeks after the damage has been made.
If there are sudden changes when it comes to temperature, the plants can get bark splitting, usually taking place near the base of the plant. This kind of damage is not uncommon – azaleas often get it without proper care.
Evergreen plants can have a different kind of problem like desiccation, in other terms, the drying out of the plant. On very cold winters, when the soil freezes beyond the root part of the plants, they can dry out. This usually occurs after dry falls when the soil doesn’t get enough water.
How to protect your plants from getting damaged by cold temperatures?
There are some precautionary measures you can take so that your plants stay healthy and survive during the winter.
If you live in areas where there are harsh conditions during the winter, a great choice is to go for cultivating plants that can handle those conditions. If you want to place a palm tree in your garden and you have 14 Fahrenheit outside, it is obvious that the palm tree will not survive during the winter.
During the fall period, it is best to let your plants harden so that they can experience acclimatization. A good way to help them do that is not to apply excessive nitrogen during the first part of autumn. This will not stimulate new growth, so the plant will have enough time to harden and easily get adjusted to low temperatures.
You have to provide enough water during the warm periods so that the plant’s roots will not dry out during cold periods. So it is best to prepare them in advance, in the late summer and even in autumn, and the watering periods should be frequent.
You can protect your plants by packing them close together and covering them with a plastic foil that will not touch them. This is best done with plants that are in pots. Also, you can protect the plants by wrapping burlap around them. The burlap has the role of isolating the roots and keeping them warm during these cold periods. It is important where you plant them because you can have warm days during the winter that can stimulate the plant’s growth and the temperatures might drop severely during the night. This way, the roots will freeze. It is best to avoid low spots.