Besides trash dams on the cap and mound of snow in the driveway , horticultural injury is a fact of life during northerly winter . Surprisingly , there are many ways that otherwise long - lived plant may meet their demise in between growing time of year .
Direct trauma from exposure to cold-blooded temperature is the most obvious , and as a result , most gardener and homeowners pay attention to maps of plant life hardiness zone . These define the average annual minimum temperature of geographic domain based on years of meteorologic data .
The southern corners of Vermont are in zone 5a , where the average minimum temperature is between 15 and 20 degrees F below zero . That ’s why some citizenry call it the “ Banana Belt . ” Up in the Northeast Kingdom , it ’s zone 3b , where the coldest temperature each year average out 30 to 35 F below .
avoid the problem is one way to prevent winter injury to your plants . Be sure to purchase the hardiest plants you could find . When pick out species or varieties , never choose those that are n’t suited for your hardiness zone .
Of course , hardiness zone are based on averages , and that can direct to problems because some age are cold than average . That ’s why it ’s advisable to err on the side of caution when choosing plant varieties base on hardiness claims . If potential , purchase plants that are suited to live in a hardiness zone colder than yours . If you must put in”marginally hardy ” plantings , adjudicate to place them in protect areas , where the wind are reduced by the comportment of social system or by the topography .
Winter condition can induce the death of industrial plant in many style . Their tops or roots may freeze or plant may dry out when welt by pertinacious wind . Sometimes , roots are heaved out of the ground by alternative freezing and thawing .
Sunny winter twenty-four hours followed by gelid nights create speedy temperature fluctuation that really ache plant . methamphetamine storms can cause break of stems and limb . mouse and deer browsing for food also may cause damage .
What ’s a grower to do ?
For many valuable crops , winter protection is essential . But protect crops too early can interpose with the plant ’s natural ability to adjust for wintertime or “ indurate off . ” The first step to take for wintertime security is to waitress , so that plants are devote enough time in the late declination to properly indurate off .
Do n’t apply mulch too early , and do n’t use nitrogen ( N ) late in the season . Too much available N , whether from fertilizers or manure , keeps flora succulent in the autumn and increases susceptibility to wintertime injury .
Mulching plants is a substance of stabilizing dirt against freezing and thaw . A thick layer of weed - free constitutional residue - like straw is best . Because straw has hollow stem turn , it is a very well insulator .
Leaves also can be used , but if they mat down , their insulating value is diminished , and they may strangle plants . Mulch should be employ in late November , after a hard rime or two .
When mulching roses , slue the cane back to 18 column inch , surround with chicken conducting wire , and cut through the whole works to protect shoots as well as ancestor . Low - raise repeated flower , strawberries , and the like are easy enough to cover entirely , but they may require re - covering if the confidential information bungle off the mulch .
For grapevine varieties that are not very hardy , remove the vines from the trellis and lay them on the earth before mulching . For upright plants that can not be lowered to the ground , erecting a fence of some form can protect plants against drying winds . gunny or other material extend between posts works well . So does Baron Snow of Leicester fencing . It breach the wind somewhat even when there ’s no Charles Percy Snow , and works really well to protect plant when there is snow .
Antidesiccants are materials that add a protective coating to flora leaves , helping them to retain their wet . These can be spray on leave of some plants to reduce the loss of piss in winter .
In northern mood , winter combat injury to plant life is hard to avoid . With right precautions , it can be minimized , but be prepared next spring to prune away winter - killed cane and limb and to absent dead flora . These can be a source of plant disease if left in home .
PROTECTING plant life FROM wintertime DAMAGE
By Dr. Vern Grubinger Extension Vegetable and Berry Specialist University of Vermont
