Tucking our children into bed used to be a treasured ritual. It included snuggling and reading a book, a bath, combing their hair, brushing their teeth and, of course, hugs, kisses, and a made-up story about something fanciful. Our wonderful little ones are now fully independent and employed adults living in three different states, so the bedtime ritual in our home, while no less important, is not nearly so treasured. Taking medication, brushing one’s teeth, and setting out clothes for the next day just doesn’t hold the same appeal.
Just as each evening we tuck ourselves and, if we are lucky, our loved ones into bed, the flowers, shrubs, and trees that beautify our home during the summer should be tucked in for the winter. The ritual of preparing our plants for the cold temperatures, high winds, and snow cover is a vital part of helping to ensure that our plants successfully overwinter in our yards. The following is a list of items to consider as the season changes.
Perennial Flowers – Usually after a few hard frosts, the foliage of perennial flowers will give you an indication of whether or not it should be cut back. If the foliage looks distasteful after the weather gets cold, then it can be cut back. Hostas, daylilies, salvia and peonies are examples of perennial flowers that should be cutback in the fall. Lavender, daisies and mums can all be cutback in the spring. Generally, ground cover plants are left alone in the winter.
Trees – Single stem deciduous trees are susceptible frost cracking. This is the development of a vertical crack in the bark. This cracking is usually found on the west or south side of the trees and develops as a result of the warm summer sun causing the bark to expand and the cold winter nights causing the bark to contract. Consider wrapping a crepe paper type tree wrap around the tree trunk in early to mid-November and removing that tree wrap in late March. This tree wrap provides insulation to the tree trunk and can prevent severe damage to the tree itself.
Evergreen trees and shrubs – Evergreen shrubs, as the name implies, do not lose their leaves during the winter. This means that they continue to go through a process called transpiration throughout the winter. Transpiration occurs as water exits through pores in the leaves. During the winter, because the ground is frozen, evergreen plants cannot access water through their root systems. This lack of access to water, combined with the continued water loss through their leaves, results in the possibility of evergreen trees and shrubs drying out and dying during the winter. An anti-desiccant spray can be applied to the needles on evergreens in the fall to slow down the rate at which water is lost through the leaves. In addition to spraying the anti-desiccant spray, make sure to keep watering your evergreens until the ground freezes.
Roses – Some plants, like roses, benefit from a bit of extra insulation in the form of mulch or leaves. By mid-November, you may want to create 7-10” mounds of mulch (or leaves) around the base of each rose. These mounds will help to moderate the temperature this winter and protect the rose canes. Make sure to pull the mulch away from the canes by mid-late March.
Hydrangeas – Because there are so many different species of hydrangeas, it is difficult to make overarching suggestions about hydrangeas. In general, though, if you are not sure what to do, then leave your hydrangeas alone this winter. While some hydrangeas such as Annabelle Hydrangea can and should be cutback this fall, other hydrangeas such as Bloomstruck may have considerably fewer flowers if pruned this fall. Again, depending on the type of hydrangeas, you may want to put a mound of mulch around the base of each hydrangea in mid-November and then rake it away by late March.
Weeds – Unwanted plants steal nutrients from our traditional landscaping flowers, shrubs, and trees. Part of preparing our gardens for winter includes the necessary task of removing weeds from the planting beds.
Annual flowers – Containers of annual flowers may be able to be successfully kept throughout the winter by moving them into your home. Geraniums are relatively easy to keep growing from year to year as a houseplant in the winter. Annual or tropical plants should be inspected thoroughly for insects and diseases before they are moved inside.
Mulching – Spreading mulch within planting beds in the fall is a great way to add a layer of insulation over the roots of flowers, shrubs, and trees. Mulch helps reduce the fluctuation of soil temperatures, minimizes water loss, and provides a natural barrier to the extreme weather that winter can bring. It is important to make sure that no more than about 2” of mulch is spread.
As winter approaches, I hope that we can all bundle up and are be ready for what lies ahead.
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or emailing her at Kathleen@thegrowingscene.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She may address it in an upcoming column.
