Battening down the hatches by murkredi
Fall and early winter is the time gardeners should be getting yard and garden plants ready for winter cold. Here are five things TheGardenLady wants readers to do to get outdoor plants ready for winter.
1) Check trees for diseased, dead or broken limbs of trees and cut them off so that they don’t fly off during a storm.
2) Put potted plants into your garage if you have one- take out the plants on sunny days to revive them- or put the planters with the plants in your basement window wells.
3) Put two to four inches of mulch around the base of shrubs. (see here)
4) Create a windscreen using stakes and burlap cloth of chicken wire around the shrubs or bushes. Drive 3-4 stakes around the the shrub you want to protect and then wrap burlap fabric 2-3 times around the stakes. Secure the burlap around the fence using a staple gun. For optimal results, fill the area in between the shrubs and windscreen with straw or needles/leaves. Or you can use a piece of chicken wire, form a cylinder around the shrub or rose canes, and fill the chicken wire with the straw or dried leaves. This will help insulate the branches from the cold. Water the plant thoroughly once before adding this protection.
5)If the shrub has leaves, you can spray the leaves with an anti-desiccant or antitranspirant (both words mean the same thing). For more information on how to apply, read this.