Winter Plant Care

We have had some surprising weather here in the high desert, and it is only early December. The snow has had good water content and that is always good news here in Northern Nevada. The bad news is the very low and below zero temperatures.

My blog today is meant to help you keep your plants as safe as possible during the heavy snow and cold weather. Cleaning heavy snow from trees and shrubs is a great way to keep their limits from breaking and lets evergreens enjoy the sunny. 

Here is my Green Spruce that was loaded with snow, once it stopped snowing I went out and gently brushed the snow off with a broom. The most important thing is be gentle. 

Our entry way has created a particularly difficult area for my Nine bark. The snow and ice drop right on them. I get out as soon as possible to clean them of heavy snow loads and ice.  You can wait to prune broken branches for a warmer day. 

While hosting my gardening radio show I loved talking about my favorite gardening tools and here is one, a duster. This works perfect removing snow and ice from plants once it starts to warm up. Here I am removing snow from perennial Geraniums.  

Last, but not least is how to cover and protect plants in the early spring.  You will want to protect your shrubs, trees and other plants if the weather should drop below 40 degrees once the buds start to swell. This is especially important for fruit trees. 

        

I hope this helps you with your landscapes. Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions or concerns. gardencoachinreno@gmail.com    

Marnie, GardenCoach