The Whistling Gardener

by Steve Smith

Steve Smith is owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville, located at 3915 Sunnyside Blvd., and a respected local expert on all things horticultural. You can reach Steve at 425-334-2002 or by e-mail at [email protected].

I recently read an article about helping people get ready for winter. It talked about something called "Take Winter By Storm," which is a program funded by Puget Sound Energy and is targeted toward the "young invincibles" who evidently don't do much in the way of emergency preparedness. Of course the focus was on having flashlights handy, extra batteries ready, first aid kits, fire extinguishers and three days worth of nonperishable food and bottled water stored away in a safe place. But strange as it may seem, there was no mention of what to do in the garden when that arctic blast decides to land in our backyard. Fear not, fellow gardeners, for the Whistler is here to help you prepare for the worst.

Already, multiple customers have informed me that they are not going to plant anything this fall because we are going to have a doozy of a winter. "Not so fast," I tell them. Those weather prognosticators are not always on target and just because we are in a "La Nina" pattern, which usually means more snow, rain and cold weather, that doesn't mean we can't continue to plant in our gardens. We just need to take a few precautions.

We all know that the last two winters have been pretty hard on our gardens. More specifically, the last two Decembers have been killers and the rest of the winter was pretty mild. But those 7-10 days in December killed or at least burned back a bunch of broadleaf evergreens, and anything that was in a pot outside probably had its roots frozen and subsequently never recovered come spring. So the question then is, what could we have done, and therefore what should we do this winter when it gets really cold? Here are my suggestions.

First of all, I never worry about anything until the mercury drops down to the low 20s. If it gets into the teens or the single digits-or if it doesn't get above freezing during the day--it is time for action.

By far the simplest way to protect plants is to cover them with something that will hold in the heat but also breathe and let moisture pass through. Wool blankets, sheets, burlap and a commercial product called Row Cover work really well. They will usually increase the temperature around a plant by a minimum of 5 degrees or more, and that may be all we need to prevent damage. I have also seen bush bags that slip over a plant and can be gathered together at the base so they don't fly off. Whatever you use, be sure you leave it on until the mercury rises above 32 degrees again. Don't use plastic because it will not breathe, and if the sun comes out it will cook the leaves underneath it. And don't ever leave these covers on all winter long. Plants need light and good air circulation and you can do as much damage by covering them too long as you can by not covering them at all.

What about snow? Well, in most cases, snow is a gardener's friend. Even if it piles up two feet high, it still breathes and will insulate the ground and crown of plants and naturally protect them from subfreezing temperatures. Where snow really causes problems is when it builds up on limbs and breaks them or causes them to bend down to the ground. If it is snowing heavily outside and it is a wet snow, we need to periodically knock it off our shrubs, especially our evergreens. A broom handle is about all you need to do the job. If you have tall narrow conifers like Emerald Greens that can splay out when the snow piles up, then you may take the precaution of tying them up loosely with some twine for the winter. But mostly, if the snow reaches 3-4 inches then it is time to remove it.

Plants in pots are always at risk of having their roots freeze. The smaller the pot, the higher the danger. Again, wrapping a blanket or burlap around the pot will help immensely. Also, if you can move the pot close to the house or into a cold garage, that is even better. Just don't forget to move it back outside just as soon as it goes above freezing.

Finally, mulching roses and tender perennials with compost, straw, chips or whatever we can find that is cheap will usually protect them from a hard winter. For plants that freeze to the ground or lose all their leaves, there is usually nothing to worry about. Focus on the broadleaf evergreens and containers and let the rest fend for themselves.

So we can prepare for whatever La Nina brings us this winter by mulching our beds and having some Row Cover or blankets on hand for those few days when our tender plants will need a little extra help coping. And remember, it's perfectly okay to plant as long as we mulch and cover if needed.

Steve Smith is owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville and can be reached at 425-334-2002 or online at [email protected].