Protecting Our Ornamental Plants Around the Yard

Jesse Fulbright, MSU Liberty County Extension

Whether it be sun, wind, cold or snow, we live in a potentially harsh environment, especially in the winter.  From year to year it can be brutally difficult to keep plants alive.  I lost most of my pie cherry tree this year, and while it isn’t completely dead, I’m afraid I’ll have to do some extensive trimming next spring if it makes it through this winter.  With some of our smaller ornamental plantings though, what can be done to prepare them for winter and whatever the next 5-6 months holds?

The following information comes from Michigan State University Extension, but is still applicable in our climate.  Watering trees and shrubs, especially coniferous ones, before they go totally dormant can help them better tolerate winter conditions, which is something I’ve mentioned previously.  Our winter winds and southerly sun can dry out foliage of these plants and make them turn brown over the winter.

Knowing where our winds come from will help when looking over your yard for how to protect sensitive trees and other ornamentals.  For conifers planted in areas that regularly suffer from winter desiccation injury the best way to prevent this type of damage is to erect some type of barrier in front of susceptible plants to block the winter winds.  Barriers constructed of burlap or wooden or plastic snow fence can be used and should be installed soon to block the prevailing winter winds and reduce winter injury.

Burlap wrapped ornamentals provide added protection
against the winter elements.

In areas around the home where snow loads can accumulate over the winter such as from falling off the roof, from snow blowing or just from prevailing winds that cause the snow to drift in certain spots, the heavy weight of snow and ice can cause significant damage to trees and shrubs, especially if we get a wet snow.  Therefore, some type of protection should be installed right now around or over the top of plants most prone to damage to prevent snow from piling up on top of these plants that can eventually cause twigs and branches to break off from the trunk or worse.

After leaves fall off of deciduous trees and shrubs in the fall, homeowners can often see plant problems that may not have been very noticeable with the foliage on the branches.  A good example is crossing or rubbing branches and other structural defects in the branches of a tree or shrub.  Severe problems can be pruned out now if necessary or perhaps a homeowner can make a mental note to prune that plant before the new leaves emerge in the spring.

Overall, fall is a good chance for homeowners to inspect their landscape plants and begin to plan ahead as to what type of tree and shrub maintenance that may be needed in the next growing season.

Preparing Your Trees for Winter

Jesse Fulbright, MSU Liberty County Extension

As much as I hate to admit it, leaves are beginning to fall slowly from the trees and gardeners are wrapping up their harvests.  Doesn’t it seem like winter was just here in April?  As we prepare for autumn now we need to be thinking about how to prepare our perennials, especially our trees for the long winter ahead.

During a normal autumn, as leaves fall off and temperatures drop, transpiration, or the loss of water from plant tissues, also falls off, most of it occuring through the stomata and epidermal openings on shoots and leaves.  Water loss therefore is minimal in the fall under normal conditions according to the Montana Master Gardener Handbook.  The low rate of transpiration, coupled with low temperatures, allows plants to harden and enter dormancy to survive the winter.  A normal recommendation for trees and shrubs, especially for conifers, is to water throughout the fall until the soil freezes.  Fall watering fills the plant’s reserves for use during the winter months.  Watering also reduces desiccation of shoots and foliage, and because the plants are dormant, doesn’t stimulate new growth. 

Photo courtesy of University of Illinois Extension

Everything I just mentioned is true for a normal autumn.  However, if we have a warm autumn, continued watering may keep less hardy trees from hardening off.  Therefore, you have a tree that is not prepared for those icy blasts of fall and winter when they do come.  However, withholding water from conifers may make them more susceptible to sun scald, which is just a fancy term for winter desiccation.  Overall, recommendations from M.S.U. Extension is to reduce, but don’t stop, watering in the fall.  Conifers are the exception to this as they still need water going into the winter. 

Continuing to speak about the conifers in our yards, they need attention during the winter when we get those warm spells or chinooks.  Evergreen trees and shrubs should get watered during these warm spells to help them with the winds and south and western sun aspects.  However, avoid heavy watering as this could stimulate early growth, especially under warm conditions.  We would like all the trees to break dormancy naturally and not be fooled into breaking dormancy when there is still more winter ahead. 

If you need further information about how to prepare your yards, trees and shrubs for winter I would encourage you to contact your local county Extension office.