Follow these tips to get your native plants ready for winter weather.
If you are like many homeowners, you put a great deal of time and effort into your home’s landscape. You have planted, weeded, and trimmed your flowers, plants, trees, and shrubs and enjoyed their beauty throughout the spring and summer. When the growing season ends and the leaves change colors, it’s time to get your native plants ready for the upcoming winter season.
Many gardeners rely on hardiness zones when choosing plants for their landscape, so they know which ones will survive winters in their area. The hardiness zones were developed by the USDA and are based on the average low winter temperatures. The Mid-Atlantic region includes hardiness zones from 5 to 8. You can find the hardiness zone for your area by entering your zip code into the plant hardiness zone website. Knowing your zone will assist you in determining which plants are best suited for your garden. Still, some preparation is required so that your plants will be healthy and strong next spring. Follow these tips to get your native plants ready for winter weather.
Fall Clean Up
Take advantage of those last few sunny, warm days to get outside and do some clean up before winter sets in. You will need to remove all of the annual plants. Leave the ornamental grasses but deadhead the blooms on the plants that still need it. Some shrubs and trees can be pruned in the late fall and early winter.
Mulch
A nice layer of mulch around your plants will serve as a blanket to help protect them against the cold weather, plus it will help them retain moisture. Make sure that you leave a space between the mulch and the plant stems and tree trunks. This allows air to circulate.
Water
Your plants need water all winter. Before the ground freezes, take the opportunity to give your plants, trees, and shrubs a nice drink. This will help them survive the harsh weather and cold temperatures.
Protect
You may need to protect even native plants from extreme winter weather. Those that are in pots can come indoors. Plants and shrubs that are not sheltered from the wind by natural barriers or manmade structures such as walls may need some extra help. A good option for some shrubs is a burlap covering. This is also a good choice in areas where deer are prevalent, as azaleas are one of their favorite snacks. Burlap works well for these and other shrubs until the spring thaw arrives and the days get longer and warmer.
Contact American Native Plants
Whether you’re looking to restore a local wetland or beautify your property, American Native Plants can provide you with the right plants for the job. With an inventory of over 400,000 native trees, native shrubs, and herbaceous plants, consider American Native Plants your one-stop shop for wholesale native plant needs. Peruse our catalog, give us a call, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+!