Winter is a beautiful season, but it can be quite harsh for your plants. The snow and cold temperatures can cause significant damage to your plants if you don’t take proper precautions. There are specific ways to protect your plant in winter.
The steps needed for the protection of plants in winter are simple and applicable. It truly depends on the gardener, whether they are willing to go the extra yard or not.
Similarly, the winter season will cause the cells to dry up, and the plant also gets hard and dies eventually. Some fine ways to protect your plant in winter are:
1) Apply Mulch
A lot of gardeners wouldn’t know, but mulching is one of the most effective ways to protect your plants in winter. Mulching doesn’t directly impact the plant, but it is the indirect effect that is the key.
Mulching helps the soil temperature to regulate well and also protects the roots from freezing. With 2-3 inches of mulch around the roots, it will retain moisture and protect from unnecessary weed growth.
2) Watering
There is a common misconception that winter means plants get cold and don’t need water. However, proper watering is highly important.
In the winter, the soil gets dry, making the root freeze. As soon as you are able to make the root wet, the chances of root decay get lower. But you need to be careful when watering. Excess moisture may cause fungus issues in plants.
3) Use frost cloths
If you dive deep into the field of gardening, you will know frost cloths are life savers. Frost cloths are primarily made to protect plants from frost bites in winter. It creates a healthy barrier between plants and the freezing temperature.
Interestingly, the frost cloth allows the plant to get the required sunlight, which protects the plant to its core. You can find various sizes of frost cloths that fit well and don’t crush your plant.
4) Choose Hardy Plants
If you live in an area with harsh winters, consider planting hardy species such as conifers or evergreens that can withstand low temperatures better than other varieties.
The hardy plants don’t require much moisture and can tackle the cold weather quite easily. The selection of hardy plants should be based on the climate and temperature around the place you live.
5) Cover with plastic wrap
If the readers aren’t able to afford the frost cloth, you can even try plastic wrap. Historically, plastic wrap has been known to work as a greenhouse for plants.
It doesn’t matter whether your plant is in a single pot or in a garden; covering it with plastic allows the proper heat to get trapped inside the plant. Even with the winter being harsh on the plant, the greenhouse effect tends to keep the plants warm and avoid the frigid weather.
6) Keep pests away
Winter is tough for everyone, and so it is for pests. Therefore, the pests tend to look for warmer places like plants, the roots of them, or well-mulched soil. One of the most important ways to protect your plants in winter is by removing all the pests.
It is during the winter season that plants require more care. You need to regularly check the base of the plants for rodents, insects, and infestations. Keeping pests away is important not only for your plants but also for yourself, as they spread disease.
7) Bring potted plants inside
A lot of gardeners tend to grow plants in specified pots. This can result in the plant growing well. However, during the winter season, letting the plants rest outside can be harmful.
You need to make room for the plants so that you can bring the pots inside the room. Place the pots in a warmer yet light-facing place so that the plant can grow. However, before bringing the pots inside, try and check for spiders and other insects.
8) Create Windbreaks
The worst aspect of the winter season is the wind, which blows pretty hard. The wind coming from all directions hampers human life. The same can be the case with plants. Cold winds not only make the plants drier but also make them die sooner.
The best solution to lessen the effect of wind is to create windbreakers. The windbreakers are needed for the plants that grow in the outer field along with the open spaces.
In order to protect your beloved plants, try and create fences, screens, or tall wooden bars that cover the entire area. The weaker plants and shrubs need extra care in the winter season so that they can grow well every year.
9). Avoid repotting.
One of the biggest mistakes that gardeners make during the winter is repotting the plant. Winter is never the right time to repot the plant because the roots are weak and the cold weather can kill it.
Trying to repot the plant in the winter would mean that you would have to transfer the location and also the nature of the plant. With colder soil in the new pot, it can go on to kill the plant, which isn’t the right thing to do.
Always wait for the summer season if you are willing to change the pots or even make the plant grow to its limit.
Final Thoughts
For any gardener, plants are like their babies. It is very important to protect your plant in winter so that it grows well for many more years to come.
The ways to protect these plants are easy and simple. There is no such thing as rocket science, but you do need to put in some extra effort to make things happen. Choosing the right plants for your region, along with covering them with plastic or bringing them inside.
All the above-mentioned steps are highly likely to be performed. However, you need to be careful that, while caring for the plants, you don’t do it too much and ultimately kill them.
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