Winterizing evergreen trees and shrubs involves protecting them from drying winter winds. To do this, erect a burlap screen on the windy sides of plants (usually the west and north). Drive stakes into soil before it freezes, and come back when temperatures are steadily in the 20s to staple or zip-tie burlap to stakes.
Deep water plants before ground freeze, and continue to water during winter months when temperatures remain above freezing but without precipitation, Erect physical windbreaks. Wrap problem plants with burlap or other material to protect from wind and subsequent moisture loss to evergreen shrubs and small trees.
Cover Plants – Protect plants from all but the hardest freeze (28°F for five hours) by covering them with sheets, towels, blankets, cardboard or a tarp. You can also invert baskets, coolers or any container with a solid bottom over plants. Cover plants before dark to trap warmer air.
To protect shrubs from snow damage, tie up branches with jute twine. For new plantings, wrap the shrub in burlap and tie with twine for protection from both wind and snow.
Winter can damage your landscape, especially your shrubs. The best way to ensure your shrubs survive the harsh winter is to wrap them. The process is simple, can be done in a single day, and you only need four tools/materials to get it done right.
Moist soil may absorb more heat and radiate it throughout the night. Cover plants before sundown to trap the stored heat from during the day. If you wait to cover it until after nightfall, the heat may have dissipated. Use frost cloth, burlap, drop cloths, sheets, blankets, or even newspapers to cover plants.
Know Your Plants' Cold Tolerance
Some frost-tender plants need to be covered as soon as the temperature hits 32°F, while others can handle lower temperatures and/or longer freezing periods. You'll need to look up each of your plants to verify its cold tolerance.
Bed sheets or comforters work best for covering large plants and shrubs. Newspaper can be used on low-growing foliage, but it can often be difficult to get it to stay in place. You can also use old pillowcases, sheets, towels and even cardboard boxes.
ANSWER: If the weather has been dry, it is important to thoroughly water your landscape plants before a freeze occurs. Plants that are drought-stressed often suffer more injury during freezes; however, watering does not actually provide any protection to tender plants.
Once the temperatures are consistently above freezing, it's time to remove the protective burlap coverings.
When the weather forecaster warns of an overnight freeze, cover your plants with burlap, an old sheet or blanket, or clear plastic. Use stakes or another support to keep the covering from directly touching the plants.
Yes – if you secure the plant properly. Garbage bags work to cover plants and protect from frost, but they must not be allowed to touch the plant's surface. Use stakes and supports to create a tent-like structure over the plant, which will retain warm air. Make sure the trash bag goes all the way to the ground.
Winter is usually the best time.
If you live in an area with distinct winters, the time when shrubs have lost their leaves and become dormant is an excellent time to prune them. Without the leaves, you can easily see the branching structure of the shrub and decide what to cut.
If you can wait until all the leaves have fallen, you will allow the trees and shrubs the ability to have better structure and strength to make it through the winter to next spring without any damage. So, put your pruners away for another month or two and let plants go completely dormant.
Never shear a shrub in fall (or ever, actually, but that's another article) and leave major pruning or renovation for late winter/early spring, or immediately after bloom for spring-flowering shrubs.
From that experience, I've found the best frost protection for your outdoor plants is either free or cheap. Cardboard boxes and brown grocery sacks make perfect frost cover and at the end of the season can be recycled. I keep various boxes on the patio and when frost is forecast simply put one over the plant.
With adequate rainfall, established plant species appropriate for our climate typically need little to no supplemental irrigation during the winter. Exceptions to this rule include newly planted trees and shrubs, plants in containers, and periods of unusually dry winter weather.
Apply hay or mulch to insulate plants.
This measure holds in both heat and moisture to protect root systems. Water jugs filled with warm water and placed in the mulch provide even more protection from the cold.
DON'T prune during fall.
No matter what type of shrub you have, fall pruning can stimulate late-season growth that may not have enough time to harden. This can weaken and damage the plant—especially if there's an early frost. Instead, wait until winter and trim bushes when the plant is in deep dormancy.
Once temperatures drop below 40°F, you may want to start covering your plants with a frost blanket depending on what you're growing, which we'll get into in just a bit. Freeze – A freeze is when the air temperature is 32°F or below.
During excessively cold temperatures
It's minor, but it could impact the look of a plant or create a haven for insects and diseases later. Don't prune when the temperature falls below 25°F.