plants in winter

It’s winter and it’s cold.
But unlike us, our plants can’t come inside for warmth…so how to give them a little help to survive winter’s cold? If you have a lot of snow cover so much the better. But if it is just plain cold, they may need and appreciate your help.

This very helpful article is from the North Carolina Agricultural Extension in Chatham County. While it is written for my area in North Carolina, in Zone 7b, it offers some very helpful and relevant information on protecting plants anywhere. Take a look:

“When Is The Damage Most Likely to Occur?”

Many factors impact whether or not a specific plant is damaged by cold temperatures, including snow cover. Extremely cold temperatures often follow a winter storm. If the storm left behind a blanket of snow, plants are less likely to be damaged – especially low growing plants, bulbs, and dormant perennials covered by snow.

Time of the year also makes a difference. When extreme cold occurs in the early part of winter (Jan – Feb), most landscape trees and shrubs, fruit trees, and berry plants are fully dormant and unlikely to be damaged.

Later in the season (March – April), many plant parts are more susceptible to temperatures below freezing, especially flower buds. Late […]