How to Prepare Your Garden for Winter

from September-October 2022 Issue

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During the extended cold snap on the coast this past winter, I think we all learned a lesson about just how fragile some plants in our garden are. Here then are a few suggestions on how you can be better prepared this coming fall/winter.

The fi rst step is to take an inventory of your garden and identify which plants fall into the category of zone 8 + Plant zones will tell you exactly how much cold that specifi c variety of plant can survive in. The lower the zone, the colder temperatures the plant can handle. Zone 8 plants are hardy and can survive up to -12° Identifying the tender plants in your garden will help you prioritize the plants that need to be protected. Any plants that are classifi ed as zone 8 or higher should be properly protected during cold snaps .

The most common way to protect your plants is to wrap them. This can be done using a burlap or a frost blanket. You should wrap the materials directly around the body of the plant, alternatively, you can stake around the plant and wrap the cover around the stakes to cover a larger area.

For larger plants like bananas, windmill palms, etc. wrapping around stakes is recommended. Once staked and wrapped you will want to add straw or another form of insulation between the wrap and the trunk of the plant. You should then place a bag

over the top to keep excess moisture out. The bag does not need to go all the way to the ground.

For the more tender perennials, you can ge st away with just covering them with mulch. Make sure you remove the mulch once it begins to warm up again. Mulching will help to insulate the plants sheltering them from snow and frost. Container plants should be moved closer to your house and wrapped with a frost blanket as well.

If a cold snap is predicted in the forecast and you are not already prepared, you should immediately visit your local garden centre for supplies and additional advice on how to best protect your garden.

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