It can be a challenge to get our plants and trees to survive our Minnesota winters. There are many factors to consider for winter protection, a large one this season is our current drought. Here are a couple tips:
Newly planted evergreen trees should be watered until the ground freezes. They have not had time to grow a large root system. They can be damaged from dry soil even in the winter as they lose moisture through their foliage and needles. It may be necessary to wrap them in burlap to protect them from drying winter winds. Young apple and maple trees can be damaged by sunscald. This occurs to the bark with a southern exposure during periods of drastic temperature changes. The sun warms the bark during the day and the cold night temperatures damage it. Trunks can be wrapped with burlap or tree wrap to prevent this.
Some gardeners clean their perennial beds in the fall and others prefer to leave the foliage in place. It is beneficial to leave the foliage in place allowing leaves to be blown in and covered with snow. There are winter birds who will feed on the seed heads during the winter. If you do leave the foliage, any diseased foliage should be removed to prevent disease spread next season. If you clean your beds in the fall, consider mulching after the ground is frozen to prevent damage from freeze and thaw cycles.
The best winter protection is the snow. It serves as a blanket protecting the roots from severe winter cold. Many borderline hardy perennials are killed by extreme cold and no snow cover.
The fall season is pleasant with warm days and cool nights. It is just a reminder of what season is next. With proper preparations your trees and gardens should survive their long winter nap.
Respectfully submitted by Mary Stoel
Pipestone County Master Gardeners
