UW Extension Shares Winter Plant Tips
Written by Andrew-Rossi on October 11, 2019
How do you protect your plants from sudden arctic chills? Just add water.
The University of Wyoming Extension horticulture experts have a number to tips to help you preserve your plants from winter fronts like the one experienced this past week.
As odd as it may sound, make sure to water your lawn and perennials before a snowstorm. Water is an excellent insulator, even better than soil. Plants can and will survive a harsh winter so long as the soil is moist. Dry soil can move and separate, which damages roots. The goal is to foster plant dormancy, which is the result of low temperatures, shorter days, less sunshine, and other factors. Wet soil in winter will help your gardens thrive.
If you can, knock snow from still-leafed-out trees and bushes and wrap the trunks of newly planted trees with at least 3 feet of material, to give them a buffer against the chill. But fall watering is the best step you can take to ensure plants see the spring.
