A good spring … winter. What to do in the garden in winter?

Abnormal Winter: How to Protect Plants from Weather Surprises

In recent years, gardeners often face weather anomalies. We regularly prepare plants for a frosty winter, cover them, carefully remove snow, but suddenly an unexpected thaw comes. Short-term warming is the norm, but what to do when winter progresses and does not think. How do you protect trees in the garden from positive temperatures, freezing rain and snowy cold winters? Read how to help plants in the face of a weather anomaly in this article.

How do I prepare my garden for winter weather anomalies?

• Early frost on a floor that is not yet covered with snow,
• A prolonged absence of snow,
• Freezing rain in winter,
• Long thawing, appearing after a cold snap, and then thawing again,
• And in general, unusually warm weather in winter, if warm should not be warm.

Rules for preparing plants for an abnormal winter

It is actually quite difficult to prepare for weather surprises. Often even major weather forecasting agencies can’t predict more than a few days. More severe weather anomalies are difficult to predict.

Preparing a garden for an extreme winter can only be done with the right agricultural techniques

1. pruning.

If the crown of an apple or pear tree is neglected and has a large number of “extra” disks, it is likely that branches will begin to break when there is icy rain or heavy wet snow.

2. Support

In addition to pruning, support should be installed for shoots that are mostly culled with more branches and therefore more fallow and solid mass from the trunk.

A tree growing without support and growing on dwarf or superdwarf rootstock may fall partially or completely.

3. Top dressing

Of course, we should not forget about the full-fledged top dressing of the garden in the fall. According to fruit growers, it is necessary to increase the immunity of plants and restore strength by applying phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. In the role of phosphorus usually acts as superphosphate, and in the role of potassium – potassium sulfate.

Don’t forget that you need to apply fertilizers that contain nitrogen in the fall.

It is one thing when fall and winter are consistent with the climatic characteristics of the region. When the fall and winter are unusually warm, applying nitrogen to fall fertilizers helps boost growth processes. Such plants in provocative inflation or exceptionally warm weather may begin to bud, which will die at the first serious frost, without harvesting and possibly without the plants themselves.

What to do in the event of an abnormal winter?

In this case, it is difficult to do anything about it. Of course, the wet, sticky and heavy snow is partly saved by props, which can be installed under heavy branches and properly sweep snow broom branches tied to long wooden bars.

It is impossible to protect trees from the heat in winter. It is theoretically possible to douse plants with ice water and weight the roots, but this is too expensive and ineffective, although it makes sense.

Let’s look at some situations and what can be done.

Winter is too warm, what to do?

• As a rule, if the first half of winter is warm, nothing will happen in the garden. Yes, in theory, the buds may swell a little, but they should not bloom if all the norms of agrotechnics were followed – watering, fertilizing, not using nitrogen fertilizers.
• The heat in the second half of winter can already harm the plants. You are already in a dormant state and the window is warm, the buds can start to burst. And if this is followed by cold, freezing temperatures, it is quite possible that the buds will die.

How can you help the plants?

1. First of all, you need to whitewash all the stems and skeletal branches with garden paint to warm up the trunk with sunlight as much as possible.
2. You can water the plants with ice water or put ice in the base, which will not melt in mild sub-zero temperatures. The ice can be covered with sawdust to prolong its presence unchanged among the plants.
3. Sometimes use spraying with Bordeaux liquid or copper sulfate 2-3%, supposedly such treatments suppress the plants for the rest of the period. This can also be done, but without much hope of a positive result.

What to do with emergency shelters?

As for plants under cover, it is advisable to remove the cover for the warm period. Under the covers the temperature will be even higher, will accumulate moisture that does not evaporate. There is a risk of fungal infection and shoots and buds shooting. As soon as it gets colder, the cover should be put back in place.

Can plants be planted in winter when it’s warm, like in the fall?

Biologically, it is possible to do so for the reason that plants are in a state of biological dormancy in the fall and the first half of winter. From a practical point of view, however, this is dangerous, because the cold can return after the warm period, which negatively affects the plants.

• For them to harden in the ground, to overwinter in a more or less colonial state, to root and take root. This will not happen if you plant in the winter.
• However, if you plant plants with a closed root system, without destroying the ground lump, it can be done in the winter. The main thing is to check the planting point again in spring and top up if necessary if there are gaps.

Can I prune plants in winter when it’s warm?

1. If you are 100% sure that the remaining half of the winter will be warm and the temperature will not fall below 5-9 ° C, you can proceed with pruning.
2. If you are not sure that the whole winter will be warm, it is better to trim traditionally at the end of February, when the probability of serious sub-zero temperatures will be minimal.
3. If, however, pruning is caused by an urgent need, for example, if there was a break of a large branch from a gust of wind or a heavy snowfall, then pruning can and should be done, and after that insulate the bud or sawdust with garden paint.

Winter is too cold and early, what to do?

It is usually very bad when severe frosts come to the ground, not yet covered with snow. This is where all plants can suffer without exception. In this case, berry plants, especially blackberries, actinidia, will be much worse than the rest.

When there is no snow yet, but frost is already there and it is strong enough, the root system of newly planted young plants and even plants which have been growing on the plot for a long time, and whose root system is close to the soil surface, such as sea buckthorn, Blauberen, Cornelia can partially or completely suffer.

How to cover

• An unpretentious covering material that can wrap the stems so that air pockets are left between the layers, i.e. not wrapping the plants tightly, but literally covering them like a flowing scarf.
• You can tie spruce paws on top of it – they’re great for holding snow.

As mulch.

1. You can use sawdust, peat, humus or even ordinary soil.
2. THE PROTECTIVE LAYER SHOULD BE LARGE AND LITERALLY IMITATE THE THICKNESS OF THE SNOW LAYER, DH AT LEAST 10 CM, AND PREFERABLY 15 CM.
3. The layer of mulch should be loose, it must not be compacted and forced to crumble.
4. On a layer of mulch you can put branches of spruce legs, they detain all the fallen snow, even if it is very small.

Sudden temperature changes in winter, what to do?

THIS OFTEN HAPPENS IN WINTER. Sunny days alternate with cloudy days, with blizzards and icy winds, sometimes with very sharp warming and less sharp cooling. All of this can negatively affect plants, especially during the second half of winter when plants are in a forced dormant state.

How can you help your plants?

1. In the fall, water without moisture and collect moisture in the soil, as moist soil freezes much more slowly.
2. If the stems and bases of the skeletal branches have not been turned out or painted beforehand, this can happen in the winter.
3. CARE MUST BE TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT SNOW DOES NOT LEAK FROM THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING AND DOES NOT SEPARATE IN A BITE – A FIELD HELPS CHIRI.
4. Theoretically, smoky fires can be built around the perimeter of the property during hard frosts, but this is rarely used in practice.

Winter 2019-2020 in Michurinsk

I LIVE and WORK in the city of Michurinsk in the Tambov region. The region is in the central part of Russia. In general, winter is going smoothly. On December 30, a steady snow cover appeared. Thickness of snow cover has since slightly increased day by day.

Late November was cold, with temperatures dropping to 18°C frost, even lower in places. BlackBerry and strawberries were covered during this time.

However, later on, when positive temperatures were observed, it was decided to open the blackberries so that the buds would open. Currently (January) there are low temperatures and snow cover of 15 to 18 CM, which is adequate. According to the weather forecast, no further cooling is expected.

No additional measures have been taken in the gardens and areas, everything is working as usual. The condition of the buds was assessed – freezing was not recorded, as well as awakening of flower buds in the areas.

Poison is made of nails, and protective plastic nets are installed on the trees from the fall.

A garden that’s beautiful all year round: Myth and reality

In winter, gardening magazines are full of articles about evergreen conifers, ornamental fruit, and gorgeous pipsqueak. But let’s face it: creating a garden in our climate that’s attractive this time of year isn’t easy at all.

We’ll dispel a few myths about needle or beautiful plants changing the landscape on their own after the leaves fall.

Myth 1: An abundance of conifers solves a winter garden’s decorative problem

Unlike beautiful evergreen trees and shrubs, they could certainly be an accent of color in a leafless garden, but many winter-green deciduous plants are covered with loutrasil or snow drifts for the winter.

You have to make do with conifers. Their assortment is endless, but above all it is important not to forget about a sense of proportion: an exaggerated variety of plants falling at first sight creates unnecessary diversity.

How to correct the situation:

It makes sense to paint the image with decorative leaves. The turrets alone are worth a lot! Don’t give up evergreen deciduous plants (mahonia, pachysandra, evergreens, and others). They are of course useless in winter, but if the snow has not yet fallen or melted, the emerald green leaves will delight us.

And the top plants are best for the summer part of the garden – where no one cleans the paths in winter. It should be noted that some evergreens, such as B. liga, in the middle belt often shed their leaves for the winter and become deciduous.

And some deciduous trees – such as hornbeams keep their leaves: they fade, but remain on the tree. Such plants should not be included in a winter garden image.

Myth 2: Pretty plants are the main feature of a winter garden

This is true only to a limited extent: In the conditions of the average strip their winter decorativeness is somewhat exaggerated. Residents of Western Europe enjoy light fruit for much longer. The climate affects the condition of the plants, and the birds find any food there – we have already eaten all the berries.

The closer the location to the city and highways, the faster the fruit loses its appearance. Fungal diseases, which have developed strongly in recent years, also have an impact. But even if they live in the countryside, which is full of neighborhood birds and no diseases at all, plants with ornamental fruits in the winter garden play a subordinate role. The reason is simple: lack of assortment.

How to correct the situation:

Nevertheless, there is a choice of beautiful fruits. You can plant mountain and hawthorn, apple species and roses, snowberry and buckthorn, euonymus and hogweed. Then, at least in late fall and early winter – in the darkest, cloudiest and snowiest times – you will notice the spectacular fruit from afar.

Of course, the red curved branch of a Tunberg’s canopy is just a nice little thing and no gardening element, but seeing it, everyone of us will experience positive emotions.

You can also hang bird feeders. They will somewhat distract birds with their glistening fruit, and the flashes of maisons and pulpit monkeys will be a lively and resounding decoration for the garden.

Myth 3: A tree with decorative bark changes the winter landscape.

A trunk, even if it’s a very pretty color, is unlikely to change the look of a winter garden. Imagine the coloristic effect of a single birch in a field, then a three-barrel tree and finally an entire birch grove, and you’ll see what we’re talking about.

How to correct the situation:

If you want your garden to impress guests in winter, use multi-stemmed plants or plant them in the flower bouquet method.

Three- to four-natured Maaca, Birkenstocks, Achorns with green bark, “Russian Eucalyptus” – poplars achieve a much greater effect than residents in winter.

Ornamental bark shrubs are inherently multi-stemmed, but should be regularly rejuvenated by planting on the stump. The bark is lightest on young shoots. Such shrubs can be completely neutral in summer and not attract attention, but when they drop their leaves, they immediately become almost the main accents. This change of accents is very beneficial, especially in small gardens.

Myth 4: Ornamental plants are not noticeable in winter

Many trees and shrubs are not particularly interesting after the leaves have fallen, neutral. But there are some that you don’t want to look at in a leafless state. Think of how the Manchurian Aralia, crowned panicle orange, ungraceful tree peonies look in winter… The list could go on. Such plants not only decorate the winter landscape, but also make it even more boring. They do not have any “highlight” – no bright color of shoots, no patterned curve of branches. It would be good if we just did not notice them, but they attract attention with their “negative” decorativeness.

How to correct the situation:

Shift your attention from the ugly bare branches to something else, such as small architectural forms. Particular attention should be paid to their color. Sculpture sets the accents in the winter garden as much as in the summer one.

You can also play with color. Walls painted in warm colors, or their fragments, hidden in summer behind the emerald greenery, not only will brighten up the garden in winter, but also will be a good background for emerald conifers, coral trees, twisting shoots of willow or hazel and picturesque apple trees. After all, the beautiful pattern of branches only shows up when the plant is close to the viewer and against a suitable background.

In a miniature room, even the inflorescences of some perennials left for the winter can look bright.