Prevent winter damage to evergreens - The winter season in your garden

- by Debra Anchors

Snow covered evergreens

In winter, when plants are dormant and snow covers the ground, we appreciate the evergreen foliage of conifers such as a juniper and the twigs and bark of deciduous trees and shrubs. Clumps of rustling grass or shrubs and trees with bright berries are welcome in winter, too. Take advantage of garden ‘down-time’ in the winter to make a list of what you would like to shop for at your garden center in the spring.


Spray broad-leaved evergreens with antidesiccant before the weather gets too cold and build burlap shelters around any young or exposed evergreens that need extra protection. Once the ground freezes, spread some pine boughs or coarse mulch over newly planted perennials to keep them from frost-heaving. During the winter, if a heavy snow or an ice storm snaps or crushes some shrubs, you can trim away the broken parts as soon as convenient but if plants get frozen during a severe cold spell, wait until spring to assess the damage before deciding how far to cut them back.


Of course, the very best thing you can do is to protect your landscape against a heavy snow or ice storm in the first place. The video below will teach you how to prevent snow from damaging your evergreens.





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