When colder days come and autumn is nearing its end, it becomes especially importantprotection of garden plants against winter, frost and wind- especially when growing plants in a cooler zone than the zone recommended for them crops. Some plants grown in containers will need to be hidden in closed rooms during the winter. However, plants planted in the ground cannot be moved. Therefore, it is worth knowingways to protect plants from winterand winter frost and frosty, drying wind.
Rose bushes wrapped in agrotextile for the winter. At the foot of the bushes, mounds of earth were made to protect the roots from frost
Protecting plants from frost
Many plants requireprotection against the effects of low temperatures for the winter periodWe must prevent the plants from freezing, and often also protect the soil around the plants against freezing. We can achieve this by using various types of insulation materials of natural origin, or ready-made materials, purchased in a garden store, the purpose of which isprotection of plants against frost
Perennials, the aboveground part of which dies away, are covered with mulch, leaves, straw, or coniferous branches (the so-called tunisz). Decorative shrubs, such as roses, are secured by mounds, i.e. sprinkling the roots of the shoots with mounds of soil. In very cold regions, we can additionally cover the mounds with straw, for additionalprotection of plants against frost
Young trees and shrubs are also secured by wrapping them with strawand then wrapping them with jute or linen.Place the straw in the spaces between the branches, starting from the bottom. After arranging the straw, wrap the plant loosely with a cloth and tie it with string. The trees can also be covered with straw or bamboo mats.
Remember!Plants must not be wrapped directly in foil. The air-tight foil causes shoot ends to die, bark cracks and promotes the development of fungal diseases. Never use black nonwoven agrotextile, which becomes excessively hot, to cover plants for the winter. Only white agrotextile is a good cover for the winter.
To protect individual small plants against winter, we can use lampshadesAs a lampshade we can use a bucket or a cardboard box. However, it is better to buy lampshades made of transparent plastic, thanks to which we will not limit the access of light to the plant. For the protection of groups of plants, e.g. in flower beds, we can use foil tunnels.A foil tunnel can be made independently by spreading the foil over wire arches.Remember to ventilate the plants - during the day, lift the foil on one side to provide the plants with fresh air.
Jute hut built above frost-sensitive shrub
A simple way to protect young shoots of plants sensitive to frost is to cover them with newspapersWe sprinkle the newspapers on the sides with soil to protect them from being torn off by the wind. Unfortunately, while newspapers prove themselves in frost, such a cover will quickly destroy rain during the thaw.
The ideal material for protecting plants against frost is agrotextilegood garden shop. The agrotextile cover has numerous advantages - it is light, partially transmits moisture, air and light, which makes it irreplaceableespecially when covering evergreen plants for winterDepending on your needs, we can choose a material with a suitable thickness .Wrap the plants loosely from top to bottom and fasten the cover with string, and cover the lower edges with soil. We can also wrap containers and pots with it. The agrotextile can serve us for several seasons. After removing it from the plants, dry it, fold it and store it in a dry place.
The so-called protective hoods for winter , adapted to plants of various sizes. Thanks to this, we can forget about the troublesome wrapping of agrotextile around plants, wrapping a rope and checking whether the wind did not blow this structure away.Hoods are a perfect solution for people who have single plants in pots or planted in the garden as solitaire, for which buying whole rolls agrowłóniny is an unnecessary and too large expense. Winter protective hoods for plants are usually sold in pieces, so we can buy exactly as many plants as we have to cover.
Remember!
Installing frost shields too early can be harmful as it will delay the dormancy of the plants. Therefore, cover the plants only after the first, mild frosts occur. Personally, I usually put agrotextiles on plants only in November.
Protecting plants from the wind
The above-described covers, such as mats and agrotextile, usedto protect plants against frost , perfectly protect plants against freezing, drying wind. In order to provide plants with protection against the effects of strong wind gusts, such as breaking branches and shoots and drying, not only during frost but also throughout the growing season, various types of windbreaks are used.The function of such a cover is perfectly fulfilled by a hedge, which is a natural cover that does not disturb the overall aesthetics of the garden.
We only use white agrotextile to protect plants for the winter. Black nonwoven agrotextile is not suitable for this!
If the species that require a quiet place cannot be planted in a place sheltered by a hedge, other larger plants or architectural elements,we can use a flexible netto protect plants from the wind, attached to those stuck in into the ground of the stakes, or plaited fences, which we place at intervals, at an angle that provides protection against the most common gusts of wind.
Especially for plants exposed to frosty, drying winds, screens for plantsThey are a bit like beach screens. They perfectly protect plants against side gusts of wind. They also do not pose a risk of overheating the plant.While a thaw or warming in the middle of winter is associated with the need to remove excess agrotextile or other covers from plants, we do not have to do anything with a screen until spring.Good quality screens for plants, tested in garden conditions, can be ordered in the store of our guide. I highly recommend this method of protecting plants against winter frosts, winds and late spring frosts: -)
Protecting plants from winter - watering
Finally, I would like to point out that the bad condition of plants after winter is not always due to the lack ofprotection against frost and windSometimes plants can dry out simply due to lack of water. This is especially true for evergreen plants that need water all year round. However, in winter, they often cannot get water from frozen soil. Thereforeprotecting these plants from winteralso consists in supplying them with the missing water.For this purpose, the plants are watered profusely in the fall before the first frost sets in, and then repeated watering in winter during periods of thaw when the soil thaws. We have written more about this in the article Watering plants in winter.I also invite you to our blog, where we suggest when to remove winter covers from plants.
