You’ve invested in shrubs that add so much interest to your landscape. You’ve nurtured, fertilized, pruned…and now they’ve got to make it through the winter. In some cases, their first. What can you do to ensure their safety, in order to return, in full and beautiful bloom, in the spring? Here’s how to help your shrubs through the challenge of winter months.
Protection against Cold
Our winters consist of all sorts of climatic challenges for shrubs. The weight of snow, bitter cold temperatures, the drying effect of wind -- even the sun’s reflection off snow and ice – all can prove to be a hazard to your landscape. But solutions are not difficult, and should be tackled in preparation for when temperatures begin to dip into the low 30s and snow is in the forecast.
Adding up to 4 inches of mulch around the base of shrubs will help keep the soil warm around them and protect their roots. Snow will eventually provide this free of charge, but is unreliable when temperatures first begin to drop. Use shredded bark, straw or leaves to insulate the ground and protect roots against the extreme cold and eo avoid frost heaving.
Shrubs that are newly planted, and those that crave some TLC, will benefit from wrapping. For new shrubs, figure on wrapping them to help get through their first two winters. Burlap is an ideal choice for many reasons: it is natural, it allows air to flow through, it is inexpensive and easily removed. It will create a wind barrier to lessen the effects of cold winds. Burlap can be wrapped around the base of the shrub, or set up vertically on the side of the shrub that faces the strongest winds. Depending on how handy you are, you can build a wooden frame and attach the burlap to the frame.
If your shrub lies in the drip zone of a roof and is prone to having snow slide and fall on top of it, or is situated near the path of a snow plow, the use of an A frame structure will protect the shrub from the weight of extra snow. For the first winter or two of an ornamental tree such as hydrangea, boxwood or Japanese willow, purchase a length of foam pipe insulation from the hardware store to use around the tender trunk. It is slit along the length of one side and can easily be cut to length for easy application.
Shrubs in the Broadleaf Evergreen family, such as rhododendrons, azalea, boxwoods, those evergreens with shiny leaves, are particularly helped through winter’s drying winds with the wrapping of burlap. The combination of freezing air and drying winds can cause the rapid loss of moisture in their leaves, resulting in winter damage. Remember to remove all soggy mulch and covering once spring arrives.
What to do when a heavy snowfall lands, threatening to snap branches due to its weight? Most evergreen shrubs such as yews and junipers, arborvitae and boxwood have flexible branches and will bounce back. You can remove snow, with care, either by hand or a soft broom, always using an upward motion. Take care on extremely cold days or when snow has turned to ice not to be too forceful or branches may snap and break. Better to wait for a warmer day with some melting.
Protection against Critters
Hungry deer, mice, rabbits and other critters pose another threat to shrubs in winter months, when their food source is scarce. Wrapping shrubs as high as 8 feet will work for deer. Lower wraps around the base of shrubs will help deter shorter critters. There are also liquid repellants on the market that can help ward off hungry predators. Remember to re-apply after heavy rain or snowfall.