This Sky Pencil Japanese holly has foam-covered wire spiraling up the stems inside to hold it together. Covered wire can be used to hold arborvitae stems together – you can bend it around a stem but leave that open so that the plant won’t be hurt as it grows. Sky pencil holly commonly splits open in a wet snow. Just be sure not to tie anything tightly and totally around a stem we often forget that such cords are there, and as the plant grows they strangle those stems. These can be loosely wrapped with foam-covered wire to invisibly hold stems together, or even tie the plant to a nearby structure. Arborvitaes and Sky Pencil Japanese holly are two common examples. Some plants are prone to splaying open or having their branches split when weighted with snow. Do not use heavy materials such as bark mulch for winter protection. Baring a nice, constant snow cover, perennials can be protected with any covering that has air spaces you might use hay, chopped leaves, or evergreen branches. The best protection for perennials is a layer of snow, but we can’t count on this in our area. When mulched too soon your protection can provide cozy places for mice and voles to live, and they will spend the winter eating the plants that you’ve been careful to cover. Hay, Leaves & Perennial ProtectionĪlthough most perennials are perfectly hardy on Cape Cod and don’t need protection, if you’re growing some marginally hardy plants and want to cover them, be sure not to put your materials down too early. Spray the top and underside of leaves, and the canes on roses. ![]() Do not apply just before rain is expected, as the product needs to dry. It’s the purified organic resin of conifer trees to which emulsifiers and stabilizers are added.Īpply Wilt Pruf in November or December when the temperatures are between 40 and 55 degrees. Wilt Pruf is organic, non-toxic and biodegradable. This cherry laurel is a good example of a broadleaf evergreen that gets damaged by winter wind and sun. Some plants are especially prone to winter damage and can be helped by applying Wilt Pruf. Plants that are already stressed from summer drought can be especially prone to browned leaves. ![]() Dry conditions cause leaves to die, and strong winds or sun can desiccate foliage. Leaf Scorchīroadleaf evergreens are especially prone to leaf scorch in the winter. Large rolls of burlap are available for those who need a tall screen near a roadway. Smaller rolls of burlap are fine for protecting shorter shrubs. This allows air circulation that plants need. Use stakes to keep fabric wrappings a couple of inches away from the plants. ![]() This is the wrong way to protect plants! Do not wrap burlap directly on foliage. If you want to put up a burlap screen, first place stakes a few inches away from your shrubs and wrap the fabric around those supports. Never wrap burlap directly around plants – this can promote leaf damage and can wick moisture away from the plants. Burlapīurlap is often used to protect plants from wind or salt spray, but there’s a right and a wrong way to do it. Here are some types of winter protection, and some situations where they can be helpful. Perennial plants might suffer in a winter when the ground alternately freezes and thaws, pushing their roots out of the ground. Some shrubs, such as Sky Pencil Japanese holly or arborvitaes can be splayed open by heavy snow. Landscaping that’s near the road can be hurt by the salt-spray kicked up by passing vehicles. ![]() Some get damaged leaves because of the wind, while others have scalded foliage due extreme cold or seasonal exposure to the sun. Plants can suffer all sorts of damage during the winter. It’s a question we frequently hear from customers: “Should I protect this plant during the winter?” The answer to this question is, “It depends…” not because we are trying to be vague, but because this decision is based on the type of plant, its location, and why protection is desired.
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