Winter Protection Program to Keep Plants Healthy This Winter
After a tough winter your plants may suffer from a combination of desiccation and root damage. Don't let that happen again! Protect your plants this fall and winter to keep them healthy for next spring.
Avoid Fertilizing with Fast-Release Formulas
As the days become shorter and the weather gets cooler all plants start to get ready for the winter. It is very crucial that the plant totally shuts down and so by fertilizing with a fast release or inorganic fertilizer you may harm the plant if applied to late.
Keep your Plants Hyrdrated into the Fall
Water is also a necessary element to allow the plant to hibernate. The more moisture within the plant tissue than the better chance drying winds won’t desiccate the foliage as much. Making sure you don’t over water the plants, just having enough moisture in the ground before it freezes solid.
Avoid Pruning Most Shrubs and Foundation Plants
Pruning the exterior foliage too late will open up the older, protected leaves, to more damage. Wait until early spring for that. Keep in mind that large overgrown plants around the house will insulate the home and help reduce the loss of heat throughout the winter.
Insulate your Garden with a New Layer of Mulch
Mulching plants extra deeply in the late fall will insulate the roots and prevent freezing and thawing temperatures from killing a certain percentage of the roots. Keep in mind that in the spring you will need to remove or pull back the added mulch as to not inflict root damage to the plants during the growing season.
Winter Protection Products for your Garden
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The safe way to reduce moisture loss when plants are under water stress due to drought, transplant shock, winter kill, and windburn.
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Mulch is a security blanket for all plants. In the winter it will insulate the roots and provide adequate moisture during the summertime heat. Organic mulch will supply nutrients and condition the soil. Depending on the kind of mulch, you will minimize the amount of weeds that can develop in the garden. Above all, if attractive, it will create a more esthetic look to the landscape. It is the frame around the landscape portrait.
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Creating a windbreak with Burlap is a great way to buffer the wind coming at the plants. The burlap will filter a minimal amount of wind while not suffocating the plant. Keep in mind the plant must breathe, never wrap your plants so tight that it prevents good air circulation.
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Staking |
Staking trees is recommended only in windy areas.
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Potassium (the “K” in the N-P-K fertilizer formula) is considered the “Body Builder” of plant nutrition. Potassium helps plants and lawns recover from the heat of summer and other stressors. In the fall, look for high-potassium fertilizers like PHC BioPak.
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