The Farmer's Almanac and the National Weather Service are predicting a snowy, cold winter. This Thanksgiving weekend is a good time to get your shrubs ready.
Shrubs around New England may be more susceptible to winter damage this year because they are stressed from the dry summer and fall we've had. If the ground isn't frozen where you live and you have well-drained soil, water thoroughly until the ground freezes.
Evergreens are most susceptible to winter damage because they never go completely dormant. Alberta spruce, yews, junipers and rhododendrons transpire water through their leaves and needles all winter. It often isn't the absolute cold that kills these plants, but the drying winter winds.
To protect evergreens, drive stakes around the plants and wrap chicken wire and burlap around the stakes. Don't let the burlap touch the leaves or it will wick away moisture and cause damage. You can also spray anti-desiccants as long as the temperatures are above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Protect all shrubs with a 3-inch thick layer of bark mulch applied now so roots won't heave during freeze/thaw cycles. Cover shrubs that might get crushed from snow falling off the roof with a wooden teepee. Protect blue hydrangea branches and roses by piling a 1- to 2-foot deep layer of bark mulch or wood chips over the plant crown. This will protect flower buds so the plants bloom sooner next summer.
And now for this week's tip: If your Christmas cactus isn't setting flower buds, place it in a room with 14 hours of complete darkness each night, but is brightly lit during the day. That should initiate flower bud formation.
