Materials For Winter Shelter Of Plants. Part 1

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Winter is a test of plant endurance. With the onset of cold weather, most summer residents think about how to protect plants from bad weather

Severe frosts can destroy herbaceous berries, shrubs, vines, flowers, even fruit trees. At the end of autumn, before the frost begins, you need to help your pets prepare for the cold season. There are many options for protection. In this article, we will discuss when and what to cover, how to wisely and in advance prepare for the winter season. Of course, there is no universal shelter, its choice is influenced by the climatic conditions of your region of residence, the individual characteristics of plants, the possibilities of the summer resident.

Many gardeners use non-woven covering materials, which have a number of advantages, but require certain financial costs. If you did not have time to prepare for the frost, did not buy covering material, then improvised means, often used in the household or which Mother Nature gave us, will come to your aid.

Snow

Snow is a natural shelter and helps to cope with the lowest temperatures. This is one of the best and absolutely free covering materials. A thick layer of snow protects and protects from freezing, creates comfortable conditions for the root system and aboveground parts. But there is one drawback - such protection is unreliable.

The instability of weather conditions can lead to minimal rainfall and lack of snow. Strong winds blow off snow in open areas. Temperature fluctuations often lead to melting and destruction of the snow cover during the winter.

Heat-loving crops are not able to withstand such "surprises". The formation of an infusion leads to a violation of the microclimate and provokes podperevanie shoots. And most importantly, frosts can begin before snow falls and destroy plants. It turns out that relying on snow is a rash decision of novice gardeners. However, this problem can be solved by creating snow retention using loose materials, taking brushwood or spruce branches.

Drawing a conclusion from the above, it is necessary to count on a snow shelter in regions where winters are long enough, snowy, and thaws are a rare phenomenon.

Lapnik

Since ancient times, spruce branches (branches of conifers) have been used as a covering material. This method creates an air gap, traps snow, repels rodents and protects against sunburn in the spring. They are lined with strawberry beds, winter plantings, trunks of young seedlings. The disadvantage of this material is the shedding of the needles, which cannot be completely collected. This leads to a violation of the acid-base balance of the soil. It is also possible to bring pests and various diseases to the site with spruce branches. An important point is that incorrect collection of spruce branches damages nature and threatens with a fine.

Dry foliage

Many people use dry foliage. You need to know the intricacies of this method, because it is in the fallen leaves that garden pests usually hibernate. Do not use the foliage of fruit trees for this purpose.

The best choices are oak and birch. The difficulty lies in the fact that not everywhere you can find an abundance of these trees, and dry weather is needed for harvesting, which rarely happens in late autumn. Early collection requires additional drying and storage space. Prolonged autumn rains press dry foliage, which at negative temperatures leads to the formation of an airtight mass that deprives plants of air. To avoid this phenomenon, place a water-repellent material on top of the foliage and arrange additional ventilation. The downside is the laboriousness of the collection, the risk of diaper rash of the plants.