Preparing Shrubs for Winter

October 31, 2007

I guess winter is really on it's way. It's time to get involved with other things.

If you haven't started preparing your evergreen shrubs for the colder weather, now would be the time to begin that chore. When you have a good day, spray some anti-desiccant on the leaves of your rhodies and similar broad-leaf evergreens. Be sure to get the bottom of the leaves as well as the top. An anti-desiccant is a liquid that kind of seals the pores on the leaves of the evergreens, stopping them from losing moisture. It will go a long way in keeping your shrubs healthy through the winter.

This is also the time to think about covering those same shrubs to protect them from heavy snow. Just remember, it should not be plastic! The plants breathe, just like we do. We can't tolerate our mouths being covered by plastic... neither can the plant! Use burlap, or lathe, or some other breathable cover.