Plants & Winter

Just like humans and animals, plants are susceptible to winter's daily temperature changes. These changes can be as much as 40 to 50 degrees in just a few hours as the warmth of the sunny days give way to the freezing cold nights. These temperature changes cause the plants to lose vital moisture necessary for survival in the winter months.

Severe moisture loss on these bitter cold winter nights can weaken and even kill plants. Make sure your trees, shrubs and perennials are well watered before the ground freezes. Young evergreens are particularly sensitive to dry out. Their roots cannot distribute the water throughout the plant, while at the same time the harsh winter winds dry out their leaves.

With a little effort on your behalf your plants can safely survive the winter months. A product called Wilt-Pruf which is a natural plant substance derived from pine tree resin is very good at helping keep moisture in the root system. Wilt-Pruf can be purchased at most garden centers. Apply this before the ground temperature drops below freezing.

Not only does weather extremes affect trees and shrubs, but wildlife as well. The bark on trees and plants are affected in two ways. First the sun heats up the bark during the day causing sun scald then the freezing temperatures at night damage the cells in the bark. Using a tree wrap will often help with this. Wildlife is the second danger to your plants in winter. With food being hard to find in winter, wildlife such as deer, rabbits, and goats will forage for any source of plant life. They will eat the leaves and chew off the bark. This will be most always fatal to your plants. Putting a wire screen mesh such as chicken wire around your plants will keep the wildlife away. If at all possible bring your plants indoors for the winter.