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Preparing
Perennials for Winter
Perennials
were once described to me as “a plant that, had I not killed it, would have
lived a long time.” Usually
bought for their bloom, perennials are the mainstays of our gardens.
Daylilies, monkey grass, irises and ferns are a few of the recognizable
entries in this category. But
shrubs can fall into this classification, too. (They are known as “woody
perennials.”) With some careful planning, your yard can bloom with color all
year long using perennials. And
although spring is usually considered the premium time to fill those vacant
spots in your landscaping, you may have discovered a well-kept secret: both
the prices and the weather are best in the fall for planting perennials in
Texas.
Loamy soil and full sun are the
preference of most perennials, but you can find a perfect perennial for almost
any location. If you have done
that already with your recent purchases, you have won half the battle.
It is easier for anything, plant or otherwise, to make it through
adverse conditions when it is happy with its home. And knowing how far you can
push each variety is helpful as well. Is
it tender if the temperature gets to freezing, or will even a 40 degree night
nip the edges? Assuming you have
situated your new plants in just the right sites, you are ready to prepare
them for whatever comes their way this winter.
Diane
Cabiness, garden designer and owner of a wonderful native plant nursery near
Lake Conroe, believes two factors become critical in making sure a newly
installed find makes it through the winter: mulch
and moisture.
MULCH:
“For the first year, you should make sure a plant is mulched well,”
Diane recommends. “Especially if you don’t know how tropical the plant is,
protect it. You can cover it with
an old blanket, pine needles, bark mulch, hay, anything that will keep it warm
and keep the soil temperature around the roots a little higher.”
What about plastic? Diane
says she never uses plastic, such as garbage bags.
“Don’t waste your time by putting a piece of plastic over the top
of a plant.”
MOISTURE:
Although mulch increases the survival rate for plants that might be
marginal in cold tolerance, Diane suggests that the moisture level should be
checked for all vegetation less than a year old when the thermostat plummets.
"It is okay for some plants to die back on top. That is natural
for most perennials.
But be sure the ground is damp before going into a hard frost so you
don’t lose the roots too.
You need to actually feel the soil.
It should be cool and damp, not dry. After the first year, plants can
be on their own for the most part.
If you put in the right plant, it’ll be just fine without any
help.”
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