Ornamentals and Trees in the Winter
TSU Extension Agent Joellen Dimond talks about how to help your shrubs and trees survive the winter and be ready to thrive next year. She starts with leaves, there are tons of them in the fall. Trees that live in the forest mulch themselves with leaves. In a home landscape setting the leaves need to be taken off the grass, but you can use these leaves to mulch your trees and shrubs or to compost. Using leaves as mulch encourages worms which improve the soil. Joellen also talks about lasagna gardening. By layering leaves and garden waste on top of a piece of cardboard and letting it compost over the winter you can have a fertile bed next spring.
Young thin-skinned trees can suffer from sunscald from daily heating and cooling cycles. Joellen encourages wrapping at-risk trees with tree wrap or even fabric strips to protect the bark from the freeze thaw cycles. Mulch is good to help regulate the soil temperature, but you should not pile mulch up next to trees and shrubs. The thick mulch allows voles and mice to eat at the base of the tree. If you need to protect tender perennials on cold nights, cover the plant with an old bed sheet and a piece of plastic. Make sure the plastic touches the ground on all sides. If you have deer or rabbits, putting a fence around young trees can protect against damage.
November and December are the best times to plant bulbs for early spring color. Fall is a good time to divide perennials. You should not prune in the fall and winter; early spring is the best time.
Related Videos:
How to Make a Lasagna Garden
Effects of Sunscald
Kinds of Mulch
Composting
Ornamental
Related Resources:
Preparing The Garden For Winter Checklist
Preparing the Garden for Winter
Young thin-skinned trees can suffer from sunscald from daily heating and cooling cycles. Joellen encourages wrapping at-risk trees with tree wrap or even fabric strips to protect the bark from the freeze thaw cycles. Mulch is good to help regulate the soil temperature, but you should not pile mulch up next to trees and shrubs. The thick mulch allows voles and mice to eat at the base of the tree. If you need to protect tender perennials on cold nights, cover the plant with an old bed sheet and a piece of plastic. Make sure the plastic touches the ground on all sides. If you have deer or rabbits, putting a fence around young trees can protect against damage.
November and December are the best times to plant bulbs for early spring color. Fall is a good time to divide perennials. You should not prune in the fall and winter; early spring is the best time.
Related Videos:
How to Make a Lasagna Garden
Effects of Sunscald
Kinds of Mulch
Composting
Ornamental
Related Resources:
Preparing The Garden For Winter Checklist
Preparing the Garden for Winter