WINTER PROTECTION

For roses, a mulch is not sufficient. When the ground is frozen, the plants must be mounded with 8 to 12" (20-30 cm) of dry material such as soil, peat moss, or sawdust. Tests in Manitoba show that dry sawdust and granular peat worked better than soil. This mound is then covered with straw or evergreen boughs. Chicken wire, boxes, and cylinders of tar paper are some of the methods used to keep the protection in place. Fiberglass batting has been used to provide insulation. To help keep the material dry, cover it with 1 mil polyethylene. Evergreen boughs are an excellent way to trap snow for further insulation. It is a good use for that Christmas tree rather than burning it or filling up the local dump.

Another method of over-wintering roses is to dig them and store them in a cold cellar or pit. Dig a trench 36" deep (90 cm) in a shady location. Lay the roses in the trench just before the ground freezes. Put moist soil around the roots to prevent drying. Fill the trench with loose soil. Cover with straw or evergreen boughs. A grower in Edmonton, Alberta grows over 300 tender roses each year with very little winter kill. In 1979, he lost only 7 out of 300 bushes and in 1980, only 5 out of 315 bushes. He has developed his own method of planting which I will discuss later under a section on Roses. His experience has shown that northerners do not simply have to yearn when we look at those beautiful roses in the catalogues. We can grow them and over-winter them successfully with the proper planting and care.

Trees, including fruit trees, require different types of winter protection. The harsh winter sun causes sunscald. Chinooks cause alternate freezing and thawing of the bark and sap causing much damage, even premature budding out. Strong winter winds dessicate trees and shrubs. Late spring frosts damage flower and fruit buds. Trees with thin bark should not be placed where they will receive the west and south-west winter sun. The heat and light from the bright sun causes blistering and sunscald. It causes the sap to thaw and flow only to refreeze rupturing the plant tissues. These trees should be planted on the north side of the building if possible. If this is not possible, precautions must be taken. Covering the main trunk and branches with building paper, aluminum foil, tree wraps or even a heavy coat of latex paint will help reduce sun problems. Planting the orchard on a north slope is recommended to overcome this problem and slow down budding in the spring.

Evergreens do not suffer from the same problems as deciduous trees. They do not seem to be bothered by trunk damage due to the shade provided by their own foliage but they are very susceptible to dessication caused by the drying effect of the wind and sun. Water loss exceeds the uptake of water by the roots. This becomes a serious problem if the trees went into winter without adequate water reserves. This happens if irrigation is not available during droughts, or the trees were transplanted in the fall and did not have sufficient time to develop a new root system. The use of anti-dessicants such as Wilt-Pruf will give some protection from desication. Evergreens are also very susceptible to damage from the weight of snow and ice. Evergreens used in foundation plantings suffer from the ice and snow from the eaves of lthe building. Quite often they are crushed and broken unless some sort of protection was provided. Upright evergreens should be wrapped in burlap or netting to prevent the branches from being weighted down from the snow. Low growing evergreens should have a roof of some sort erected over them to prevent crushing. Where snow load is not a problem, evergreens can be given shade from the winter sun, protection from salt spray, etc. by burlap wrapped around stakes.

Here are some diagrams of methods of protecting your plants over winter.

diagram 1

diagram 2

winter.html
This page by Pat
updated August 18, 2000

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