Surviving the Dead of Winter

This is the time of year that is not necessarily welcomed with open arms by most gardeners. Granted, we don’t live in the winter wastelands of the northern Midwest, but it is still cold and gloomy enough to make us impatient for spring. And it’s not that far off, in reality…it just seems like it.

We have to point out, though, that a cold winter like this one DOES server a purpose. To be fair, the past few winters have been uncharacteristically mild, which is great for people who are not fans of the cold, but winter plays in important role with plants and your landscape, in general. Plants need a winter break. They need to shut down completely to prepare for their emergence in spring. Breaks of mild weather tend to disrupt their dormancy, which leads to problems later in spring and summer. Plus, the cold takes care of certain pathogens and harmful insects so that they are not a problem when the weather warms up. So, yes, this weather may be inconvenient, but ultimately, it serves us well.

There are, however, some things that you can do in the yard and the garden during the dreary winter months to protect your plants. Start with treating broadleaf evergreens with Wilt-Pruf®, ananti-transpirant, to reduce moisture-loss due to cold and wind. A natural product derived from pine tree resin, Wilt-Pruf is organic, biodegradable, non-hazardous, and non-toxic. In short, it is a very safe and useful product.

Do you have a deer problem? Well, to be honest, if you have deer, you have a problem. Deer have become suburban denizens with destructive browsing habits. They can reduce your landscape to a few straggling leaves in a night. And with food sources somewhat limited this time of year, they see your landscape as a smorgasbord. Use either Repellex® or Liquid Fence® to protect your plants. It won’t harm the deer, and they will move on quickly. But it is VERY IMPORTANT that you follow the instructions on the bottle exactly. Deer browse at a certain height,and it is crucial that the repellent be sprayed at that point or it will lose its effectiveness as a deterrent.

Take a look at your gardens and give them a general cleanup…old leaves, spent vegetation, broken branches, etc. Leave the mulch on for now, but come spring, look at removing some of the older stuff before applying a new layer. In your vegetable beds, this is a great time to topdress with organic amendments such as Coast of Maine Lobster Compost® or Bumper Crop®, to allow the nutrients to percolate into the soil over the winter and early spring. This is a better method than turning it into the soil, as it is a good practice to disturb the soil as seldom as possible.

Don’t forget the birds! They survive the winter on spent perennial seeds and berries, and those are in finite supply at this point in the season. They need food, water, and shelter to get through the winter. So help them out! And help yourself out by keeping your spirits up. A nice tropical foliage plant, or an orchid, primrose,or African Violet, will take the edge off winter. At least it will get you through to spring!