• InsideOut
Page 16 April 8, 2021 Berthoud Weekly Surveyor
Your plants are scared of snow! How can you protect them?
Special to the Surveyor Spring is officially here, but we Coloradans know that the threat of snow follows us well into Mother’s Day some years. While it can be sunny and warm for days on end, Mother Nature can throw a curve ball and cover our budding plants with heavy, sticky snow, making it difficult for roots to take hold, and may make any gardener worried about negative impacts to blooms and growth. Spring snow isn’t the light, powdery stuff of a few months ago. This version of snow is wet, heavy, and very clingy to emerging leaves and blossoms, and has been known to break more than a few tree limbs. While the weather experts do their best to prepare us for what’s to come there are some things you can do before, during and after a snowstorm to give you the best odds at a fruitful growing season: It’s not just a myth — wait until at least Mother’s Day to plant new things. Our snow season typically falls from September thru mid-May, so hold off until then if you can. Winter mulch needs to go. You probably mulched around your plants during the winter season to help protect them from the elements — great move. But, once your plants start growing again (read: after our spring snowstorms), it’s time to remove that winter mulch so it doesn’t block new growth or cause crown rots. Xeriscaping doesn’t just mean rocks. Most associate the term “xeriscaping” with rock and gravel, but it also includes choosing native plants that are best suited for your area’s climate, and therefore require little to no extra water. Here in Berthoud and in other parts of the Front Range, that typically means Hardiness Zone 5. Choose plants and ground coverings rated for this zone to ensure the best chance at surviving any last-minute spring snowstorms. The Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) recommend covering newly seeded garden beds with bubble wrap, bubble side down, and placing a few rocks along the edges to keep it in place. The wrap will keep the seeds from washing away, and the air inside the bubbles offer insulation to keep any tiny leaves from freezing. Snow means moisture, right? Not necessarily, especially in Colorado.
Frozen ground can actually keep water from getting to your plants, so it’s not a bad idea to water your plants before and after the storm to ensure they get the much-needed moisture they require. Even if it gets below freezing, moist soil can act as an insulator to your plants’ roots. Just don’t overwater. Get your trees pruned now, before the heavy snow arrives. It stands to reason that the more of a tree you have, the more surface area the snow has to land on, so remove what you don’t need before a big storm potentially removes it for you (in the form of broken branches). If your trees have already started budding, get outside to knock snow off the branches while it’s snowing. Start with the bottom branches first, so the snow at the top doesn’t add to the weight when it falls. You can use a long broom or extension pole and be prepared to get a bit wet. Maybe wear a hat. According to the ALCC, doing this several times during the snow may keep branches from reaching their breaking point. If a limb on a tree or bush ends up breaking due to the snow, it may still be able to be saved. For ornamental shrubs, Dennis’ 7 Dees says to cut the stem back to just above a healthy bud and resist the urge to prune more than what is obviously damaged. Once growth takes hold, you’ll be able to see more clearly where to prune to keep your plant healthy. This article is courtesy of Pioneer Sand, visit them at 2123 1st Street in Berthoud, or online at www.pioneerco.com.
