Winterize Your Garden

        There's a chill in the air here, and in some parts of the country it's downright cold! What can you do to protect those precious plants you've worked so hard all year to grow? The most important thing is to make sure your plants are healthy and pest free. A healthy plant has the energy reserves to make it though a tough winter - a pest ridden one may not.

Here are a few tips to get you through the winter:

Mulch. Putting down one to two inches of bark mulch helps preserve water and protects your plants from sudden temperature changes.

Water. Be sure to keep watering. Even though it's cold and most plants are dormant, they still require some water (except for native plants, see below). Give your plants a light watering once a week until it freezes or snows.

Stop pruning. Late fall pruning will encourage your plant to put out new shoots, which are too tender to make it through the winter.

Cover your plants. If the forecaster predicts a hard freeze overnight, cover your most sensitive plants with an old blanket. Unless the plant is covered in straw, avoid plastic because of its cold conducting ability.

Lawns. Most lawns don't need much attention right now. Grass requires little water or cutting during the winter. Unless it is raining, water your lawn once a week. Remove fallen leaves to discourage insects.

Native plants. Most native plants should be left alone during the winter months. It is very important to make sure that they don't receive any supplemental water. Natives are acclimated to the seasonal rainfall and additional winter water can cause root rot and death.

        Prepare your roses. Roses should be pruned when they are dormant, after the leaves drop. Never prune a rose in cold weather as the bud growth below the cut may be damaged and the shoot may die back. If your winters are severe, prune roses in spring, after you have removed their protective covering.

        After your roses have been pruned, mound up 1 foot of loose soil over the bush. Tie the upright branches loosely together, cover with straw and wrap the whole thing with an old blanket or burlap and tie it up with string.

Preparing small trees and shrubs. Loosely tie in the branches of small garden shrubs and trees with light rope. Create a circle 12 inches around the plant with wire netting, such as chicken wire, supported by three or four stakes. The wire netting circle should be the same height as the plant; any stems left sticking out will die. Pack straw into the wire netting. Cover the entire thing with plastic and tie rope around it to secure the plastic. Small perennials can be covered with straw and an old blanket, over covered with plastic or glass cloches. Empty gallon milk containers make a great plastic cloche for small plants. Simply cut off the spout and place it over your plant.

Prepare your mums. After your mums have finished blooming, they should be cut back to about 8 inches. If you live in an area that will freeze or be very wet during the winter, the plants should be dug up, with the root area intact, complete with soil, and stored in a cold frame other warm, dry place. They should be covered with mulch. Once spring arrives, replant. Mums should be watered deeply but be sure and watch the plants for signs of water stress. Too much water causes the leaves to yellow and drop. Too little causes woody growth and loss of lower leaves. Plants should be pinched frequently to encourage bushiness. They should also be fertilized 2 or 3 times during the growing season.

Prepare yourself. Have a cup of hot cocoa and start planning for spring!