Though snow might seem light, it can do a lot of damage to a plant when accumulated. Some plants, like evergreen ones, never renew their leaves, and they could get severe damage during a snowfall if not protected properly. But how can you protect your plants from the damaging slush?
Here are some effective ways to defend your garden plants and orchard in winter:
Tree guard / Winter Tree Wrap– usually during the heavy snowfall the leaves of the tree catch and carry the flakes. This could break the branches or the worse; it could even break the stem. There you can put the tree guard. The tree guard is specially designed not only to protect from snow but also against the attack of mouse and rodents. This protector is available in the market and it is made of plastic.
Tying Shrub – nowadays the weather is so unpredictable… summer is so hot and in the winter is so cold. This could actually bring great damage to our plants in the orchard or in our garden. Now, it makes sense that we have to take good care of our plants. If heavy snow is predicted, try pulling all the shrub branches and tie it all together. Without doing this, a heavy snow may break the twigs that may cause total damage to the plant.
Burlap Sack– during the winter, the breeze is so crisp. In this condition, the leaves of your plant dry up. Cover it with burlap sack. As we all know burlap sack is made from jute plant or sisal fibres woven to create a sack. This sack will protect against the freezing wind and let your plant breathe through it.
Watering – in winter days, the soil around the plant freezes. This makes the plants thirsty and could possibly ruin its life. As we know plants lose the moisture through the leaves and because it is frozen, it all locked up and can cause the plants to defoliate. In this case make sure you water the soil enough in advance of the freeze.
Coning—have you ever heard of the rose cone? Oh well, this is one of the ways to guard the rose from snow. But, it is not only for the rose but it could be applicable to other plants as well. This rose cone is made of Styrofoam designed to protect the plant from snowflakes and gives warmth for the good circulation of moisture. Just don’t forget to make small holes at the side of the cone; this will make your plants suffocate.
Composting – compost is very useful for the growth of the plants but don’t you know that it could be a great protection against snow? Apply an ample amount of compost around your plant stem covering almost 6 inches. Compost gives protection against weather fluctuation. The warmth underneath the compost also gives the moisture to circulate well in your plant.
