From plants sheltered for the winter. How to tie decorative herbs? Preparing plants for winter

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Winter is not an easy test for our plants. For trees, this is much more dangerous than for herbaceous plants, since their buds are located high above the ground, are not protected by snow cover, and are open to winds and frost.

In order not to disappoint you in the spring, you need to select an assortment that will well tolerate our winter. The quality of planting material also plays a significant role. The plants should have a well-developed root system that is not damaged during digging and transportation.

In late autumn, it is necessary to help the plants go into a dormant state. From the second half of summer, young shoots cease to grow in length and begin to become covered with bark, which protects the branches in winter. Branches on which no bark has formed will not survive until spring.

By the end of July, the application of nitrogen-containing trees, which stimulates the growth of plants, is stopped for trees and shrubs. To prepare for winter, plants need potassium and phosphorus (fertilizer doses should be read on the packaging).

It is also necessary to shelter the plants that were planted this year and those that must undergo acclimatization. After this, the plants adapt and they no longer need shelter. Some, especially delicate plants, such as rhododendrons, shelter every year. This, of course, adds trouble to the garden, but the flowering of these plants is so bright, unusual and elegant that all the labor and time is paid back by the joy that we receive by contemplating this flowering. To well wintered, they must be watered abundantly, until the first frosts. In the first two or three years, it is better to cover evergreens with spruce branches. And undersized - fall asleep with dry oak leaves. Deciduous rhododendrons (azaleas) are sheltered by another technology. Branches need to be bent to the ground and lightly sprinkled with soil. In winter they will be covered with snow, and they will not freeze.

Shelter begins to be carried out when the air temperature drops to -5 ° C at night. Do not do this earlier, because the plants need to get a little hardening, get used to low temperatures. Night frosts and slight frosts are not afraid of them. The main one is spruce or pine spruce branches. It helps to accumulate snow, which protects the plant from severe frost.

But, in such cozy huts in winter mice like to settle. They eat the bark of trees and shrubs, and this can lead to the death of the plant. Mice are especially fond of fruit trees. We'll have to put the poison under cover. The most convenient way is wheat grains treated with poison. They can be bought at hardware stores and garden centers.

In no case should the shelter damage or break the branches of plants. Therefore, the sprawling bushes will first need to be carefully tied with a rope, then wrapped in burlap and only then covered with spruce branches in three layers. Brittle plants can not be connected, for them you need to make special frames that are covered with burlap and covered with spruce branches. For rhododendron bushes, these can be cubes, and for young Christmas trees, pyramids with three or four faces.

Snowless frosty winters present a significant danger, when even a good shelter cannot save plants from damage. It’s not scary if frosts last 1-2 days, it’s bad when they stand for a long time. Therefore, those plants that need shelter are best placed in places protected from the wind, where more snow accumulates.

Lapnik should be positioned so that the upper side of the branches, where the needles are denser, looks up, so it will be better to accumulate snow. Fasten the lapnik also with a rope.

Branches and buds are able to withstand severe frosts, which can not be said about the roots. They suffer greatly in snowless winters, so you should try to accumulate snow in near-trunk circles. The same spruce or pine spruce can help with this.

In spring, when the temperature is set to 0-5 C, and the snow begins to melt, the shelter is removed. This usually happens in the second half of March. Do not open the plants immediately, it is better to do it gradually: first remove the spruce branches, and after a few days burlap.

For winter sheltering plants, you can also use agrotextile or agrofibre. Agrofibre can be of various densities: 17, 23, 30, 40, 50, 60 mm per kV m. The higher the density of agrofibre, the more it protects against temperature extremes. The peculiarities of agrofibre are that it promotes the circulation of air inside and out, reflects UV light, transmits heat inside, thereby creating a microclimate inside covered plants. Low density agrofibre can be used in spring to protect crops, plantings, plants from spring frosts.

Danger threatens plants even when winter is already ending and the sun becomes brighter. This primarily concerns conifers, which in the second half of winter suffer from sunburn. Bright light is amplified by reflection from the snow and damages the needles. You can protect plants from the sun with burlap, which simply wrap the crown. You can remove this shelter when all the snow has melted. After a few years, the plants adapt, and there will be no need to hide them.

It is impossible not to say how the lawn hibernates, because these are also plants. Lawn grasses also can not be fed with nitrogen fertilizers, starting in August. From now on, you can give only potassium and phosphorus, elements that help plants prepare for winter. Do not mow the lawn before winter, let the grass go 8-10 cm long under the snow. Just like for woody plants, for the lawn the best protection against frost is a soft blanket made of snow. In rare cases, when there are severe thaws and the snow melts, an ice crust may form on the surface of the lawn, which must be broken because it prevents the grass from breathing. And of course, it’s not permissible to set up an ice rink on the lawn.

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Most garden plants (fruit, ornamental and berry) tolerate winter well and do not need any shelter. However, some of these plants may be damaged under certain conditions. For example, in early spring there was little snow and a lot of sun. However, some coniferous plants can burn. Or a frequent change of thaws and frosts. Or strong, prolonged frosts, withering plants.

It often happens that the same plants tolerate harsh winters well, but die in warm ones. Apparently, the coincidence of a number of other conditions is affecting here. And in the fall you will not guess what winter will be and how it will affect different plants.

In addition, the microclimate in different areas of the garden is also changing.

The photograph shows that in one winter the fir near the garden house was open. And in the other she was covered with snow.

Therefore, it is much easier to cover those plants in autumn that may be affected in winter. And sleep well after that.

For example, in Siberia, it is necessary to cover garden blueberries and rhododendrons, as well as fir, if it is located in a sunny place. It is advisable to cover thuja and rare conifers in the first few years after planting in the ground. It is advisable to cover roses for the winter, but in spring it is necessary.

There are many ways to shelter plants, all have their advantages and disadvantages.

Of all those tested, we liked shelter with the help of needle-punched geotextiles of the brand “D”. It is a synthetic fabric of white color, strong and durable.

When do we cover plants? After the onset of constant negative temperatures -6-8 C day and night. It is better to cover the plants later than before. During autumn thaws, plants can undermine or grow in shelter.

How to shelter? We lay the fabric on the plants so that an air cavity forms under it and that it does not touch the plants. Between tissue and plants there should be a gap of at least five centimeters.

To do this, we throw the fabric on supports that hold the weight of snow and create an air cavity inside.

Supports can be: chocks, logs, racks (bars) hammered into the ground, wooden or plastic boxes, arches, masonry net.

We used plastic arches as supports. When sheltering roses, they bent strongly in the spring under the weight of wet snow. Then, when the snow melted, they partially straightened.

But when sheltering the rhododendrons of the arc, the severity of the snow was sustained, since the distance between the ends of the arcs was small and the degree of their rigidity was higher.

We lay the geotextiles on the supports so that there are ventilation holes on the edges. Slots should be 5-10 cm wide, in winter they will fill it with snow. But they are needed mainly in the spring, when there is an active melting of snow and the ventilation of excess moisture from under the shelter is needed.

Edges to the ground can be fixed using bent electrodes. But it is better with washers for fastening the insulation, without a dowel. Such washers are plastic and galvanized. It is better to use galvanized steel, as they are more durable. Press the geotextile to the ground, put the washer on top, insert a construction nail 200 mm long into the central hole and hammer it into the ground with a hammer.

Examples of plant shelter.

Blueberry.

The shoots were tilted and attached to the ground with electrodes bent in the shape of the letter “P”.

On the perimeter of the bush installed logs as racks.

Geotextiles were thrown on top and attached to the ground.

Rhododendrons

Two plastic arcs were installed above the bush.

They laid geotextiles on them and attached it to the ground.

Roses.

We cut off unripe shoots and remove the leaves.

Long shoots were tilted and attached to the ground with electrodes.

Plastic arcs were installed on top.

Geotextiles were placed on the arcs and attached to the ground.

In the spring, shelter was removed only after new shoots grew by 4-5 cm. We remove the geotextile in the evening or cloudy weather.

For the experiment, part of the geotextile was removed and replaced with a black “T” geotextile. After the geotextile was removed, they noticed that under the black geotextile, the shoots of roses began to grow faster than under the white. Apparently this is due to the fact that the black fabric was heated in the sun and was warmer under it than under the white cloth.

Therefore, in winter, roses can be covered with white geotextiles of the brand “D”, and in spring they can be replaced with the brand “T”.

Tui.

Over the plant made a frame of slats.

The frame was wrapped in two layers of geotextile and tied with a cord.

A ventilation hole was left at the top, and the geotextile was additionally tied with wire for strength.

It’s getting colder outside, people put on warm jackets. In the garden, it's time to protect plants from frost! Why is it important to know how to protect the plants from the cold? In this article we will tell you which plants should be protected from frost, and when it is better to do so that they can cope well with the cold wind and low temperatures. In the photo you can see how the winter cover can look aesthetically pleasing and even, to some extent, provide a decorative effect!

Covering plants for the winter allows you to winter the most sensitive species of trees and shrubs. Sometimes you can find opinions that shelter from frost is an unnecessary procedure, and sometimes even harmful. This assumption is probably due to mistakes that can be made during the protection of plants from frost with inappropriate materials or if work is carried out at the wrong time. When and with what to cover plants for the winter correctly?

In winter, the frozen land does not allow the plant to consume enough water, while the cold wind enhances the effect of cold, as a result of which the plant undergoes freezing and drying out. This is especially dangerous for evergreen crops. To protect against frosts, it is very important to know at what temperature the plants are best covered and for which crops which type of coating is better. Let's consider these questions in more detail.

Which plants need frost protection?

• evergreens, for example, rhododendron, Japanese cherry, laurel;
• roses, for which should be made of mounds of soil or compost (while trying to avoid peat);
• magnolia, honeysuckle, garden hydrangeas are also subject to shelter;
• do not forget about grass, and especially about Japanese sedge.

How to protect decorative herbs?

After the decorative herbs fade in the fall and the first frosts begin, it is worth considering how to ensure their wintering. Many species require additional shelter. It is worth noting that in the first year, protection against frost requires almost all newly planted ornamental herbs.

How to tie decorative herbs?

As soon as we see that the stems and leaves of ornamental herbs begin to wither, their preparation for the cold should begin. It is best to choose a dry and sunny day for this event, if possible. On such a day, the leaves of the grass are easier to bundle. If you are sure that the stems of ornamental herbs are dry, you can proceed to their binding. Some snopiki need to be connected in two or three places to form the correct form of a sheaf. The correct bunch is very important, because during windy weather and on frosty days, some crops lose their leaves, as is often the case, for example, with the leaves of a giant Miscanthus.

In order to bind the leaves of ornamental herbs, it is best to use jute or twine packaging (it can also be a simple cord). It is strong and holds well bound stems, which under their own pressure on windy days can break a weak knot.

The binding of ornamental herbs should be double, as in the photo. It is very important not to cut away wilted leaves in the fall, as they provide additional protection against frost.

Bark, peat or lapnik?

If frost persists for more than three days, it is advisable to protect ornamental grasses with a mound of bark. It is important not to do this too early, because the stems can become steamy and rot, which negatively affects their health and survival in winter.

Commonly used are pine bark or dry horticultural peat. Sprinkle them around the grass and form a small slide that protects the root system.

Pine bark mound at grass roots

Branches and agrofibre

Evergreen ornamental grasses (for example, Japanese sedge or fescue) should also be covered with lapnik for the winter, that is, branches of coniferous trees or agrofibre. Only suitable white agrofibre may be used for shelter. Before using this material, evergreen herbs must be tied, but not too tightly, then coated with agrofiber and tied again so that snow does not penetrate from above.

Straw

Another material that will help protect decorative herbs for the winter is straw mats. Mats are placed around the filament and neatly tied. To protect from frost, you should avoid using colorless film, bags or bags from coniferous bark!

Ornamental herbs, even tied in bunches, will beautifully decorate any garden. Sprinkled with snow, they create a mysterious atmosphere in the garden.

Potted plant protection

Potted plants also require protection in winter. Best of all, they hibernate in a bright, cool place at a temperature of 5 ° C. When there is no way to move the pots into the room, you can deepen them into the ground, preferably in a calm place. If this is not possible, it should provide at least a very simple protection against low temperatures. Namely, it is necessary to make sure that the pots do not stand directly on a concrete or stone surface. To do this, you can put a layer of polystyrene under them with a thickness of about 10 cm, which insulates the pots from concrete or stone. This arrangement will prevent the roots from freezing.

Material Overview

Permeable materials should be used to shelter plants from frost. Do not use film or other waterproof and airtight materials for shelter, as this leads to overheating of plants, loss of hardening, and subsequent freezing. Lack of ventilation also leads to the development of fungal diseases, so you should take care of some air access.

For winter shelter you can use:

• white agrofibre with a thickness of 50 g / m², which the plant wraps two or three times;
• needles and spruce branches of coniferous trees;
• shading nets;
• straw mats;
• in some cases, garden peat;
• leaves that fall from trees in autumn.

White agrofibre knitted with decorative ribbon

A photo. Use of agrofibre and pine bark. We tie the whole bush with white agrofibre and tie it with decorative tape, and we insulate the roots with a slide of pine bark.

A photo. Straw covered roses

In winter, plants run the risk of losing a lot of water, because they are not able to get it through the root system in sufficient quantities if the soil is very frozen. Therefore, it is advisable to mulch around the plants, thereby protecting them from freezing the soil. You can make a mound of earth, compost or bark to a height of 20-30 cm right at the base of the bush.

Frost-sensitive perennials and small shrubs can be covered with spruce branches (branches of conifers). Here you can also add decorative elements to improve the aesthetic effect. Such compositions often become not only an effective measure of protection, but also a real decoration of a sleeping winter garden.

Evergreen deciduous and conifers require shelter at a young age, especially from frosty, dry winds and the sun, which creates large temperature differences between day and night, which often manifests itself in February-March. To do this, you can use branches of conifers, agrofiber, straw or corrugated cardboard.

A film or other material impervious to air is not suitable for coating, since it contributes to the development of fungal diseases. Hiding is carried out after the appearance of small frosts - in November - December, depending on the climatic zone.

Tall bushes (for example, magnolias) are less resistant to frost and require shelter, especially at a young age. Covering the entire bush more than 1 m in height is quite troublesome. Therefore, it is advisable to protect at least the base of the bush 30 cm in height. In the case of freezing during the harsh winter of the upper part of the bush, the base with sleeping buds will endure frost without damage and will give new shoots that can quickly restore the bush. For this purpose fit:

• sawdust;
• bark;
• the soil;
• mulch (fallen leaves).

Rose care

In order to shelter roses for the winter, the best and cheapest way is to use the land, which is buried in the hills and then covered with branches, making a mound 20-30 cm high. When raking the hills, care should be taken not to expose or damage the roots . Therefore, in the place where we take the land for the mounds, it is recommended to scatter the well-decomposed cattle manure, which in spring we cover with land removed from the mounds. But for the hills themselves, you can not use manure!

Good to know! Low rose bushes can be bent to the ground and sprinkled on top of a hill of earth to protect from frost.

In order to shelter the roses on the stem from frost, you need to tie the bowl and gently tilt it to the ground, then you should strengthen it with sticks so that it does not straighten. After this, the bowl (the most sensitive to frost) is covered with a mound of earth, compost, bark or sawdust. The thickness of the knoll should be about 20 cm. For a full guarantee, you can also shelter the booth.

Deadlines

When and at what temperature do you need to cover the plants? The period when plants should be covered depends on the climate of a particular area, it begins when the first frosts begin, on average, this is mid-November. You can not cover the plants too early, because winter shelter will raise the temperature of the soil, which can lead to further vegetation of plants, delaying their entry into a state of winter dormancy. In this case, the plants may die from rotting. Therefore, shelter should be done only when regular frosts have come and the soil has frozen to a depth of 3-4 cm.

Everything that is useful to us for work, for example, agrofibre, protective caps and other materials should be prepared in advance so that everything is ready and we do not miss the right moment.

Many species and varieties of plants are not resistant to frost and require shelter. There are many ways to protect, it is only important to choose the most suitable depending on the type of plantings. In addition to agrotextile, you can also use other materials and raw materials available in the garden: straw, dry leaves, sawdust, coniferous branches, straw mats and bark will be suitable for covering from the cold.

It is also important not to miss the timing of the onset of frost, and at the same time not to cover the plantings too early so that they do not enter the vegetation and are not barred. This should be done when the first frosts appear, and the topsoil freezes. In November, the weather sometimes plays a joke, and despite a few cooler days, it can also surprise you with warmth and sunny days. Therefore, it is important to wait until the temperature (during the day) is at about -5 degrees for several days in a row.

In the fall, owners of blackberry landings, especially beginners, often have questions in the fall: do I need to cover bushes for the winter, and if so, when should I do it. This article is devoted to the answers to these questions. We will tell you about what materials are best suited as covering materials, when to cover and how to do it competently.

Things to take care in the fall before shelter

In order for the blackberry to easily survive the wintering, before shelter it is necessary:

1. Continue to water the bushes after harvest until cold weather, if the weather is dry.
2. Thin out shoots by cutting off those that have already yielded crops, as they have served their own, as well as young branches. For 1 bush, from 6 to 8 branches are enough. The remaining branches are shortened by about 20 cm.
3. Weed weeds, loosen the ground.
4. Fertilize with potash fertilizers without chlorine - this will facilitate wintering.
5. Sprinkle the soil with leaves or husks of sunflowers to protect the roots and retain moisture.
6. Remove the plant from its supports and gently press it to the ground. The closer to winter, the bushes will be more fragile, so you need to remove them earlier. If the plant is self-growing, it is necessary to bend gradually, weighting the top with some kind of load.

Important! To avoid the spread of diseases and the multiplication of pests, trimmings of blackberry bushes should be thrown into the fire.

When is the best time to start shelter?

Blackberry bushes freeze at a temperature of about -17 ° C, a sharp drop in temperature, which can destroy the plant even at -10 ° C, is especially dangerous. The best time for shelter comes at a time when the temperature is constantly kept at -5 ° C, that is, usually in late October or early November (the time period may vary depending on the region).
   If you cover the bushes ahead of time, then under the influence of heat they will continue to grow, and in the absence of light and ventilation, the young shoot will rot and rot. Rotting of roots and ground shoots is facilitated by condensation formed under cover from excess heat and lack of air.

Important! High humidity is a companion of fungal diseases.

Thaws are a danger, since the formed moisture turns into ice during subsequent frosts, and the blackberry dies.

How can I cover a blackberry for the winter

For shelter, you can use improvised or purchased materials.

Materials at hand

  As improvised materials for shelter fit:

1. The soil  - This species is time consuming, but gives a good effect. Of the minuses, difficulties with removing this type of shelter in the spring can be called - thorns can scratch your hands, and soil remains on the tops of the bushes cause increased growth of side shoots.
2. Snow  - in the conditions of a snowy winter, it will reliably protect the plant, however, in case of a thaw, it can be a dangerous source of excess moisture, which will freeze during the onset of cold weather and damage the plant.
3. Vegetable tops - used dried and healthy, which is harvested in the process of harvesting vegetables.
4. Hay and straw  - both materials are easy to use, in the spring they are easy to remove. Of the minuses - such a shelter can attract mice for wintering who readily enjoy blackberry bushes.
5. Fallen leaves of trees  - this species is characterized by a small laboriousness, but it is important here not to cover with leaves from fruit and berry trees, as larvae of pests can be transmitted with it.
6. Corn leaves  - this material is characterized by rigidity, therefore it can protect the shrub well, it also absorbs water poorly. The leaves are dried after harvesting corn or use dried naturally, stacked in a thick layer. Keep the leaves healthy and free of damage.
7. Sawdust and chips  - it is not recommended to use because they reduce the nitrogen content, acidify the soil, strongly absorb water, which then freezes with an ice block, and contribute to the propagation of pests.
8. Peat  - It is characterized by a high degree of moisture absorption, so it fits poorly.
9. Coniferous branches  - the thick layer of this shelter allows the bush to breathe, retains heat well, repels rodents and insect pests.
10. Husk of sunflower, buckwheat, rice  - the material is good in that it does not absorb water well, but it will take a lot to cover it.

   The positive side of the use of improvised materials is the lack of financial costs, the negative is the impossibility of their use on large areas.

Did you know? In England, there is a legend that blackberries can only be harvested until October 11th - on this day the devil spits on it, and people who eat berries picked after this date become unclean.

Synthetic materials

You can cover the blackberry with the help of synthetic materials purchased in the store:

1. Film  - Its thick layer will serve as a good shelter in a snowy winter, but can create problems if a thaw occurs. In this case, a lot of moisture and heat forms under it, which will lead to decay. Snowless winters are a danger, in this case there is a greenhouse effect, which is created on a frosty day by the sun and forms a high temperature under the film. After sunset, a drop in temperature leads to frostbite. As an option - you can put paper under the film or sprinkle it on top with sawdust.
2. Ruberoid, pieces of old linoleum  - ease of use of this type of shelter resists fragility during frosts.
3. Felt or synthetic winterizer  - This species is suitable only for northern latitudes, where snowy and frosty winters, as the material can gain moisture during the thaw, and the blackberry will block.
4. Sacking - is used as an additional covering material in conjunction with improvised means of shelter.
5. Non woven fabric  (spanbond, agrotex, lutrasil, agrospan) - the advantage of this type of material is its good frost protection and the ability to pass air. It does not create a greenhouse effect, so you can cover it before the start of frosts, and remove it long after they finish.
6. Styrofoam  - It protects well, but expensive and easily cracked by mice.

Did you know? Styrofoam98% composed of air.

  These types of shelters can protect large areas of planted berries, they can be used several times, but they require some financial investment.

How to cover

After the preparations for the mulch soil, the blackberries are pressed as close as possible, trying not to damage the fragile branches. If you can’t bend the bushes, they are covered with boxes of plywood, slate. So that the film or non-woven materials do not freeze to the plant, a layer of mulch from improvised materials is poured under them or a frame is constructed that will not allow materials to come in contact with branches and leaves.

Non-woven material can be black and white, the difference between which is only that the white color better reflects the sun's rays and is suitable for snowless winters. It also happens in different densities: material with a density of 100 g per 1 sq. Km. m can be laid in 1 layer, 50 g per 1 square. m - in 2 layers. It is often recommended to cover with 2 layers of a thinner version. When choosing the width of the material, you should stop at 1.6 m.

Important! No need to try to wrap the shrub in a covering material, like in a diaper, the warm soil gives off heat, not the flooring, so try to cover more area around the plant.

  The edges of the flooring must be pressed to the ground with something heavy (stones or sprinkled with earth) so as not to be carried away by the wind. It is recommended to lay a layer of snow on top of the flooring so that more heat is retained.

Is it necessary to cover frost-resistant varieties of blackberries

Frost resistance characterizes the ability of a blackberry to withstand low temperatures. However, the fact that the plant survives does not mean that it will not be harmed - buds and shoot tips can freeze in winters with little snow, and as a result the crop will be poor. Of the frost-resistant varieties, the most famous is Agave, which can withstand more than -20 ° C. But young branches of this variety can freeze in such a frost. Although in the spring new shoots will grow in their place, but this year they will not give a harvest. Based on the foregoing, frost-resistant varieties of blackberries also need shelter, otherwise a weakened plant will not please you with berries.

Thus, if you want to get a good blackberry crop, you need to cover the bushes for the winter, but you need to do this correctly. Handy materials are suitable for small landings, for larger ones - synthetic (white agrofiber). However, do not shelter too soon, otherwise the plant will rot and die. Follow our recommendations, make the right shelter for a blackberry for the winter and you will definitely feel the difference.

Video: blackberry-how to properly cover

In the autumn, your house and cottage need special care, since winter is just around the corner, and there are fewer and fewer warm days suitable for work. On the land, all living things seem to freeze in anticipation of unusual metamorphoses. Slowing down life processes, plants are struggling to prepare for the most unfavorable season.

However, often plants do not always manage to fully enter the hibernation season and successfully transfer it without human help. Every year, more and more species and varieties from the warmer climatic zones appear on our sites. Often these are already well-acclimatized hybrids that can more or less easily adapt to severe weather conditions, although if we compare them with the local flora, these plants are noticeably inferior to them in terms of endurance.

Trees and shrubs are especially at risk of death in the winter, the ground part of which during hibernation is not covered by protective insulating materials and snow. Blown from all sides by a frosty wind, branches can get local frostbite, the worst of which is freezing and death of the kidneys.
  Touching on the topic of winter hardiness of plants, it is important to understand that the endurance of varieties to cold depends on many aggregate factors:

Cultivated plants imported from warm climatic zones, as well as local ones crossed with heat-loving varieties, rarely tolerate a drop in temperature from -25 ° C;

Long-term stay at low temperatures leads to the complete death of both the ground and underground parts of heat-loving plants;

The garden in autumn is characterized by a destructive alternation of high humidity at a temperature near zero with a sharp freezing and thawing of the soil;

Late cold summers with prolonged rainy weather lead to a stretching of the vegetation process, when the seeds begin to ripen in the pre-fall period, while not having time to lower the growth rate by winter;

Improper agricultural practices, excessive or late application of fertilizers abundant in nitrogen, can significantly extend all vegetation processes, bypassing quality preparation for seasonal hibernation.

Covering materials

Covering materials can be used for any plant on your site, both for decorative flower species and food.

Consider the main materials:

1. Coniferous spruce branches, like the needles themselves, individually have excellent snow retention and thermal insulation properties.

2. Lutrasil is an artificial fabric of various densities, used as a usual covering material on top of the soil, as well as when fitting bulk constructions and frameworks (for example, hammered pyramids for conifers).

3. A ready-made mulching mixture of ecological natural ingredients that can be easily purchased at any flower shop is mainly used for shelter varieties that are sensitive to even the slightest temperature fluctuations (often as shelter for roses and other moody crops).

4. Humus, fresh and overripe foliage of tree species, peat are a convenient material for mulching and hilling of a covered plot of land.

5. Kraft paper, due to its density and high insulating ability, protects against frost and temperature extremes.

All of these materials are able to show excellent protection against frost, however, it is worthwhile to analyze separately the strengths and weaknesses of the shelters. So with all the ease of use of lutrasil, one should not forget about its ability to warm, without producing sufficient air circulation. The heat accumulated inside can lead to overheating of the plants during even short winter thaws.

Kraft paper pleasantly pleases with its impermeability to light, as a result of which your pets (in particular conifers) will not face any sunburn.

Plant mulch taken from the natural environment can be infected with dangerous pests and diseases, the manifestation of which will be noticeable already in the next growing season. Many gardeners and summer residents, preparing a garden and a kitchen garden for the winter, prefer to buy ready-made mulch, which can also act as a pleasant decorating material.

Shelter of roses

Pursuing the preparation of the site for winter, gardeners with special awe relate to the quality shelter of roses. To date, there are a lot of their forms, for each of which there are certain rules for preparing for hibernation.

For example, climbing roses finish fertilizing with nitrogen-containing fertilizers already in late July - early August. In October, unripe shoots are removed from the roses to the place of ripening. Taking advantage of the moment, you can try to form a bush, cutting off old useless unproductive lashes.

It is desirable to cut off the foliage from the bushes or cut them off with disinfected scissors - here as you like. It is desirable to bend the lashes themselves and fix them as close to the ground as possible so that they do not touch it.

Stamp roses also bend to the ground, trying not to damage the root neck, it is best to do this anatomically in its apparent bend. When pruning, all the other roses do not need to be bent and freed from the leaves, the main thing is that the remaining ground part allows you to apply the covering material on top, especially if it is a box or fabric.

It is important to remember that the preparation of roses must be carried out at a positive or near zero temperature, since sheltering roses in winter is more than a futile exercise - the flowers will die anyway. If you are accustomed to hilling and covering roses with a cloth, you probably already faced the problem of rotting and overgrowing the bush with a dangerous fungus. Typically, this is due to a violation of the microcirculation of the air inside the shelter, the accumulation and heating of moisture during thaws.

To prevent such unpleasant consequences, it is important to ensure that there is a small gap for breathing between the ground and the tissue. Special purchased shelters of the “fur coat” type based on peat and sphagnum moss will help absorb excess moisture. The latter, in turn, in addition to thermal insulation properties, has a good bactericidal and antifungal effect.

The finished mixture is usually simply poured over the occult bushes with a layer of a few centimeters and that’s all - a reliable shelter of roses for the winter is ready! Such a mixture guarantees effective preservation during wintering of almost all plants on the site, except, perhaps, trees and tall bushes, whose branches can still be affected by the frosty wind.

Shelter of Chrysanthemums

Ordinary chrysanthemums cultivated by gardeners for many years, tolerate winter heat well. Modern Korean varieties do not differ in the impressive size of the buds, however, they are adapted to our weather in the best way.

After the chrysanthemums have faded, they must be cut and bent to the ground like roses. From above, the bushes can be covered with mulch from foliage or humus, additionally covering with any waterproof material. As soon as the soil begins to thaw, you can lift the fabric (film), completely removing it only with complete thawing of the earth.

Beautifully blooming Indian chrysanthemums impress with the size of their buds and intolerance to even the most insignificant drops in temperature. It is better not to leave these flowers in the open ground for wintering. For their preservation, it is worth digging out the underground part and placing before the arrival of spring in a cellar or other darkly heated little room.

The ground part is cut to 10-12 cm in height. For laying, it is advisable to use wooden "breathing" boxes. Chrysanthemums stacked with layering are sprinkled with a substrate consisting of peat, sphagnum and coarse river sand as desired. In no case should chrysanthemums be watered, as old roots may begin to take root, especially in the presence of even a weak source of light.

Clematis Shelter

Clematis flower beds in autumn also need special care. Depending on the variety, clematis are cut to a height of 30 cm to 1.5 m. All unnecessary vines are cut, the rest are twisted like a ring or spiral and laid closer to the ground. Any natural material that is sprinkled on plants with a layer of 20–40 cm can act as a heat-insulating material.

The substrate must be well dried and porous. From above, the clematis is additionally covered (if necessary) with a box or frame, as well as any waterproof material. There should be a slight gap between the ground and the top layer of the shelter.

This method of protection requires additional actions on the part of the grower. In winter, it is necessary to trample the paths between plants so that the mice cannot penetrate into the gaps. In the spring with the arrival of the first thaws, it is important to remove the waterproof material (usually the film) in time to prevent the clematis from heating.

Bulb Shelter

In order for the garden and garden to not experience much stress in winter, it is necessary to stock up with mulching natural material in advance, because as practice shows, there isn’t much of it - there is always something that could still be covered. This is especially true for bulbous plants, since their underground part contains a lot of water and is susceptible to rapid freezing.

Perhaps the most unpretentious among the bulbous are tulips, some small onion, colchicumless often daffodils. Colchicum  it is advisable to plant in open ground no later than mid-August, so it will not require additional shelter, having managed to take root well. Landing in the 20th of October will require reliable shelter.

Daffodils  and some small-bulb ones are recommended to be planted no later than mid-September. Tulips  can tolerate until mid-October. If the landing dates are noticeably shifted forward, winter warming is simply necessary. Daffodils  and lilies  mostly severe frosts are poorly tolerated, so it is advisable to play it safe and always cover these flowers.

So that the bulbs in the soil do not get wet, you can cover them with a film until the rain stops completely. Before the last preparations under the film, dry mulch should be applied with a layer of no more than 3-5 cm. You can leave a gap for breathing.

With the advent of autumn, shelters for roses usually cause particular concern, and the importance of warming other plants in some cases is reduced to practically "no." But do not forget that in our kitchen gardens and gardens there are more immigrants from warm countries requiring special attention. And in order not to be upset by the presence of flowers that have not sprouted next spring, it is worth thinking now how exactly you will warm the plants by winter.

How to cover plants for the winter video

Good luck in floriculture and good luck!