Protect Fragile Plants This Winter
Winter care guide
Protect Fragile Plants This Winter
Seven steps to carry tender, potted and newly planted favorites through freezing weather.
Winter lows of 0 to 10°F
Cover tender plants on freezing nights and mulch new plantings.
When to act: the temperature ladder
7 steps to protect your plants
Know which plants need help
Newly planted trees and shrubs, potted plants, and anything rated for a warmer zone than yours get priority. Established plants rated for your zone usually need only mulch.
Water deeply before the freeze
Moist soil holds heat better than dry soil, and hydrated roots handle cold better. Give a thorough soaking a day or two before a hard freeze, then stop once the ground is frozen.
Mulch the root zone
Spread 2 to 4 inches of shredded bark, leaves or pine straw over the roots. Pull it back a few inches from the trunk or stems so moisture does not collect against the bark.
Cover on freezing nights
Drape frost cloth or an old sheet over stakes so it reaches the ground and traps soil heat. Take it off in the morning once temperatures rise. Keep plastic from touching the leaves.
Shield from wind and sun
Winter wind dries out evergreens. Set a burlap screen on the windward side, and wrap the trunks of young thin-barked trees to guard against sunscald and cracking.
Shelter your containers
Roots in pots freeze faster than roots in the ground. Move pots against a south-facing wall or into an unheated garage, group them together, and wrap the pots in burlap or bubble wrap.
Uncover gradually in spring
Remove covers and wraps as nights stay above freezing, and pull mulch back a little as the soil warms. Wait to prune cold-damaged growth until new buds show you what survived.
Winter do and don't
Do
- Cover before sunset so the soil heat is trapped.
- Use stakes so the cover does not crush branches.
- Check the forecast every evening in a cold snap.
Skip
- Fertilizing late in the season, which pushes tender new growth.
- Leaving plastic on plants through a sunny day.
- Heavy pruning before the worst of winter has passed.
Plant for an easier winter
Plants rated for your zone need the least winter care. Our trees, shrubs and perennials ship dormant and bare root, grown in Tennessee since 1959, so fall is a great time to plant.