Plants don't freeze to death - they dry up

Jim Hillibish

Plants don't freeze to death over winter. I know this goes against popular thinking. We'll hear it scores of times this spring, as those azaleas or shrubs or whatever refuse to wake up.

"It froze out."

No it didn't, and understanding this is the key to preventing the winter kill of next season.

Winter is a trying season for plants but not because of the cold. We only think of droughts in summertime, but to a plant, winter is a three-month killer dry cycle.

That's because snow is not moisture until it melts. It can go months without melting, When it does melt, most of it runs off, because the soil is frozen. This is terrible on plants.

They need moisture year around. The dry soil plus the drying effect of the lowhumidity winds of winter do the trick. The plant stresses out and dehydrates (not freezes) to death before the spring rains can revive it.

Plants need a lot less moisture when they're dormant in winter, but they still need gallons of it. The plants most susceptible to winter kill are the new ones. Trees are considered new until they are three to four years old. Shrubs are new up to two years old.

New plants suffer because their roots are close to the surface and in the hard-frozen zone. Once the roots reach below the freezing zone, they'll find a more stable supply of moisture.

We had a fairly dry fall, and that will increase the winter kill. Late watering is the No. 1 way to prevent winter kill. Don't put away your hose too early.

Another help is mulch. Plants mulched with pine bark or ground leaves will retain soil moisture longer than naked ones.

Plus, the soil will not freeze as deeply. Then when we get a thaw, the water will penetrate instead of running off.

Preventing evaporation above ground is important, too. That's why you see some folks wrap their new plants and trees in burlap. This helps fight the drying effect of the winds.

There are plastic-type sprays that also retain moisture, but they're much more expensive and wash off.

Good soil preparation always is important. Light (friable) soil containing lots of organics (such as compost) retains moisture beautifully. It also retains air, and that's almost as important as water to a live plant.

Piling up snow around a new plant will help insulate it from the wind. When the snow melts, it adds water. If it melts slowly, it can penetrate deeply.

Send gardening queries to jim.hillibish@cantonrep.com