If you have planted perennials in your garden this year, there are a few things that you’ll have to do to make sure that they make it through the winter. Warmer climates usually do not have this problem, but if your nights do get near or below freezing, protecting this delicate plants is a good idea. By taking the proper steps to ensure they make it through the winter, your perennials will return bigger and better than ever in the spring.
The first step is to decide whether or not you want to actually bring the plant in the house. If you do, you can simply transfer it right from your garden into a pot. This works well for plants that do live year round and do not go dormant in the fall. It is a good idea to make sure that the pot has more than enough room for the plant and you may also want to add additional feed during the process. Treat the plant gently while transplanting so that you do not injure it.
If you don’t want to bring your plants inside there are still quite a few things that you can do to make sure they stay safe all winter long. Start by lightly fertilizing the plants so that they have more than enough food to keep the root system healthy when the temperature drops. They won’t be getting as much light as before, so they will need this extra little boost to keep the roots healthy.
Now, you may want to purchase covers at your local hardware store to further protect your plants. Typically, many gardeners will use Styrofoam cases that will fit right over the plant. If you do decide to use these, it’s a good idea to find a way to anchor them to the ground so that they don’t blow off the plants they are protecting. A small brick or a rock placed on the top will work quite well.
There is a lot of discussion over what type of cover is best, as well as what color you should be using. White is the best, since black covers can get to hot and may cause the plant to wilt, especially during a sunny day. Resist the urge to keep checking on your plants once they’ve been covered. They’ll need to stay cozy and warm under there. Watering is another hot topic. Some gardeners prefer to keep their plants dry throughout the winter, others will water them occasionally. The best answer is to figure out how dry your climate is, and to see how well the plants are doing. If they look at little on the dry side, a small amount of water is best.
As soon as spring starts to turn the corner, it will be time to remove the covers and let the natural growth process start again. Gently fertilizing and watering is a great idea at this time and will give your plants the strength they need to rejuvenate.
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Originally posted 2008-11-13 05:43:15. Republished by Old Post Promoter
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