When to water conifers for the winter. Hibernation of conifers: how to protect plants from frost. Protecting conifers from burns

It would seem that coniferous trees feel great growing in middle lane Russia, and no winter is scary for them. Indeed, many of coniferous plants unpretentious, but even local pines and spruces may not be able to withstand all the vagaries of winter, not to mention exotic plant species. Therefore, you need to worry about how to help your plants survive the frosty time well and preserve their beauty. Each type of coniferous plant requires an individual approach, but there are some general points. So, let’s reveal a couple of secrets on how to prepare conifers for winter.

Moisture-recharging irrigation

Preparing conifers for winter begins in the fall, when deciduous trees shed their crown. At this time, it is necessary to water the roots of the plants well, about 5-8 buckets for each. Such watering is especially desirable for plantings made in this and last seasons, varietal specimens and exotics - in any year of life.

What is it for? The needles of such plants wake up from frosty sleep earlier than those of others. And it often happens that the roots at this time are not yet able to “extract” enough moisture due to frozen soil. As a result, the needles burn.

If the soil is well and promptly moistened, it will freeze less and the risk of spring damage will be minimal.

Strengthening new plantings

Coniferous trees collect large amounts of snow on their branches. And if winter also pleases us with heavy snowfall, then a sticky snow mass may form on them. This weight is sometimes too heavy, especially for seedlings that have not had time to take root. Therefore, in order to avoid them falling and prevent the roots from breaking, it is better to secure the plants with guy wires. This material will be useful for owners blue spruce trees.

Burn protection

Cypress trees, columnar junipers, some varieties of thuja and Canadian spruce must be protected from sunburn. To do this, cover the conifers for the winter with special material.

Good for this purpose:

• sackcloth;
• wall mesh;
• woven propylene panels.

Having chosen the appropriate material, it must be placed on the plant and tied with twine, without tightly tightening the branches. There is no need to “wall up” the entire crown down to the last branch. If there are “windows” left, that’s even good, since there will still be access to fresh air. If the plant is very large, then simply shade its southern side. It will be useful for fans of dwarf conifers.

Preparing conifers for winter (video)

Crown tying

Tying the crown is necessary for those plants that are resistant to wind and are not afraid of the spring sun. It is necessary to tie their branches loosely so that they do not bend or break under the weight of snow or freezing rain.

What to do, if…

• Did a lot of sticky snow fall?

“ListParagraphCxSpMiddle”>Snow can be knocked off plants using a board or pole, pre-wrapped soft cloth. There is no need to shake the trees and hit them with all your might; tapping them lightly with small dots is enough. This way you won’t damage either the bark or the branches.

• was it freezing rain?

“ListParagraphCxSpLast”>In this case, try to give the branches their original position using ties and supports. Don't try to melt the ice with a hairdryer. warm water.

“ListParagraphCxSpLast”>Together with artificial heat, the kidneys may wake up prematurely. When sunny weather arrives, the ice will come off on its own; you just need to support the plants until this period.

Coniferous plants occupy a special place in the hearts of avid gardeners. Evergreen trees and shrubs are planted not only as an element garden composition, but also as an independent plant. The needles shade the area well and add comfort to the overall picture of the summer cottage. Even in the cold season, when all plants go into so-called hibernation, coniferous plantings are a kind of decoration, bringing to mind winter holidays in a warm family circle.

The main reasons for covering coniferous crops for the winter are considered to be frosty wind and scorching rays of the sun. These are the factors that have the most adverse effect on plants. The sun's rays are especially dangerous during the thaw period. At that time conifer tree evaporates a large amount of moisture, which is not replenished in any way. It's all about the tree being in a state of rest and lack of sap flow. It is during this period that the rays of the sun not only completely dry the branches, but also leave severe burns on them. Frosty winds are no less harmful to conifers. That is why many summer residents plant their spruce, thuja and pine trees along the wall or surrounded by other plants. This to some extent protects the seedlings from the wind.

Video “Preparing coniferous plants for winter”

From this video you will learn how to properly prepare coniferous plants for the winter.

Protection for medium-sized species

Medium-sized coniferous trees and shrubs include thuja, certain varieties of yew, spruce, pine, cedar, cypress, and fir. The first point in the process of warming these crops is bending the branches to the trunk. To secure the legs, use ordinary twine, which is not tightly wrapped around the ephedra. After this, a special insulating cover made of agrotextile is put on the plant, which can be found in specialized gardening stores. If this is not possible, you can prepare the insulation yourself. To do this, take a non-woven material, wrap it around a coniferous tree, and secure the seams with a stapler.

It is important to remember that pine and spruce trees need additional insulation exclusively in the first year of life. If the branches of a coniferous crop are very fragile, they should not be bent down. In this case, a frame of wooden blocks or plastic mesh. It is better not to use wire when preparing the frame, as it conducts cold well and will only aggravate the situation. When the bars are installed, they are wrapped with a special insulating material.

Remove the shelter with the arrival of spring, preferably in cloudy weather. If damaged, dry branches are found, or the plant has become dull, a series of “reanimating” procedures are carried out:

• spraying with warm water;
• sun protection;
• treatment of crowns of shrubs and trees with biostimulants.

Conifers are rightfully considered one of the most unpretentious and unpretentious garden crops. In the warm season, they can easily take care of themselves, but with the arrival of winter, the attention and responsibility of the gardener become necessary.

Summer residents who take care of their bushes and trees receive healthy and fragrant conifers as a token of gratitude.

Coniferous trees are distinguished by their extraordinary decorative properties - blue fir trees, lush firs, thujas, and junipers often decorate personal plots. As a rule, they are quite winter-hardy and can easily tolerate the cold under snow cover. However, some “southern guests” and any young growth require additional winter shelter: they are threatened by both freezing and the usual “spring burns” for conifers.

The first thing that needs to be done to ensure that young trees and exotic trees survive the winter without loss is to provide them with moisture-recharging irrigation. In late autumn, before the first frost, pour an average of 5 buckets of water under the root of each planting: the soil will freeze less and in early spring trees will be protected from traditional coniferous damage.

When thinking about how to cover conifers for the winter, remember that most of them have a superficial root system and require additional insulation of the tree trunk circle. For this, use fallen pine needles, sawdust, spruce branches: cover the soil well around the trunk - in harsh winter this will protect the roots from freezing.

Next you will need to cover the trees themselves. For this purpose they are used various materials: most often it is pine, spruce spruce branches, burlap, spandbond, roofing felt, lutrasil. It is strictly not recommended to take polyethylene and other “non-breathable” materials - this leads to plant rot, fungal diseases, and burns.

Selecting a covering material for coniferous plants is not easy: on the one hand, it must provide them with protection from frost, and on the other, from winter burns, which trees usually receive from January to March. If you use artificial non-woven materials (spunbond, agrotex, etc.), remember that you should not allow the trees to overheat, do not wrap them tightly, and leave ventilation holes in the hut.

Experts, explaining how to insulate conifers for the winter, do not recommend starting this before mid-November. Plants should be slightly hardened and accustomed to sub-zero temperatures. When frosts reach an average of -7 degrees, tie the plants with twine, then wrap each one in burlap and cover it in several layers with the selected material.

If the plant is brittle, fragile, you cannot tie it - you will need a special frame, which can be bought at any garden center. You can make a frame in the shape of a pyramid or cube yourself - from wood or thick wire. Place a frame over fragile trees, then cover it with burlap. Cover the tree with covering material, for example, spruce branches, in 2-3 layers.

The spruce branches can be fastened with a garden stapler, wrapped with twine - the constructed hut should be as resistant to winds as possible. In such a shelter, a coniferous tree can safely overwinter until the onset of stable heat. The hut should be dismantled gradually, at the end of March at a temperature of 0 to +5 degrees. First, the spruce branches are removed layer by layer, and a week later, the burlap is removed.

Not a single area is complete without coniferous crops. They give a picturesque view of the territory in winter time when all the deciduous trees are bare and the flower beds are empty. There are so many varieties and types of coniferous crops that you can create entire compositions, the decorative value of which will be high in any season. But there is one caveat: not all coniferous crops withstand winter equally. If the seedlings were brought from Europe, where the climate is much milder than Russian and even Ukrainian, there is a possibility of severe damage to the crown and freezing of the roots. Let’s take a closer look at how to avoid this.

You can reduce the likelihood of winter troubles to zero already at the stage of purchasing seedlings. If you purchase thujas and junipers from domestic nurseries, where they grew for several years in the same climatic conditions as in your area, then problems with winter hardiness will disappear. Weak crops freeze out already in the first year after planting in the nursery, so they simply do not reach the shelves.

But more often we get planting material on the market where it is impossible to verify whether the seller provided accurate information about the growing conditions of the seedlings. And even if all the plants were grown in the local climate, there is no guarantee that they were not overfed with nitrogen fertilizers to accelerate growth. And excess nitrogen significantly reduces the immunity of crops and leads to freezing.

Therefore, the owners themselves must take care of the conifers, preparing them for hibernation at the end of autumn.

They get along well in small areas different types dwarf pine, which stands out for its winter hardiness and ability to withstand snow loads

Among the crops that are more damaged than others in winter, the leaders are arborvitae, firs (except Siberian and Wicha), metasequoias, cypresses and cypress trees. In areas with a harsh climate, it is better not to plant these crops or be prepared for the fact that they will have to be protected from frost every winter.

The list of the most unpretentious coniferous plants includes:

• Spruce (except Eastern and Brewer);
• Cedars;
• Larch (except Western);
• Pines (except Thunberg);
• Junipers (except Turkestan and Zeravshan);
• Hemlock;
• Western thuja.

The remaining varieties need to be selected taking into account the duration and severity of your winters.

Rules for preparing plants for wintering

Autumn water-recharging irrigation

Despite sub-zero temperatures, life processes in coniferous crops do not stop, but only slow down. Therefore, trees and shrubs must be prepared for winter taking this circumstance into account.

Before the onset of the first frost (around the end of November), water the conifers one last time. For each crop up to a meter, pour 2 buckets of water, and above a meter - from 3 to 5. This way you will provide the plants with a supply of moisture for the pre-spring period. At the end of February, when the sun begins to get hot, the crown of conifers comes to life and requires nutrition and moisture from the roots. And if there is not enough of it in the soil, then frost binds the soil to a greater depth. The roots cannot take water, so the needles become dry and are easily burned by scorching rays.

Watering is especially necessary:

• one-year and two-year-old seedlings that have not developed a strong root system;
• rare breeds of conifers with poor winter hardiness;
• plants whose crowns were shaped and trimmed this season.

If there are coniferous trees on the site, grown using the bonsai technique or with topiary cutting, they require thorough shelter from the snow

Phosphorus-potassium fertilizers

In order for the young branches of conifers to ripen by the beginning of winter, you need to properly feed the plants. Starting in August, eliminate all fertilizers that contain nitrogen. It provokes rapid growth of green mass, and this will greatly weaken the immune system. It is useful to add a mixture of potassium and phosphorus to the soil in September. This will speed up the lignification of the branches and strengthen the root system.

Mulching young plants

A necessary condition for healthy wintering for rare and non-winter-hardy varieties of conifers is mulching. Perfect option mulch - tree bark. It is large, allows oxygen to flow to the roots and, when the temperature rises, does not prevent excess vapors from escaping from the ground. With this mulching, the plants will never dry out, as is the case with sawdust.

Mature conifers or those purchased at a local nursery do not need to be sprinkled with mulch. They can cope with winter without shelter.

Troubles during the winter months

If you took into account the previous tips, then your pets will feel quite comfortable in winter, but the care does not end there. Winter weather brings many surprises, and you need to deal with them in time.

First surprise: heavy snow

Sometimes there are heavy snowfalls in winter. Wet snow settles heavily on the conifers, causing skeletal branches to break and thin ones to break off. If your pet is covered with a sticky and wet snow cap, do not try to shake it off by tilting the branches or shaking the trunk. At this time, the bark and branches are so fragile that you will provoke cracking. You need to wrap the end of the board with a soft cloth and pry it over each branch of an adult tree, gently swinging it up and down. Brush off all branches in the access zone of your growth with a stiff brush or broom, moving from the tips to the trunk.

The crown of spherical and columnar varieties can be protected by tying it with twine. Just do not pinch the branches so as not to disrupt the circulation of juices. The twine should press the crown tightly against the trunk, but not squeeze.

The crown, tied with twine, becomes compact and dense, preventing snow from getting into the middle, which helps to survive the winter without breaking.

Surprise two: freezing rain

With the contrast between day and night temperatures, tree branches can become covered with an ice crust. It has enough weight, tilting its paws and threatening the safety of the plant. You won’t be able to shake off such beauty, as it sticks tightly to the needles. In this case, the supports that you used in the summer for support will come to the rescue. fruit trees. Place them under any branches that have bent too low to prevent them from breaking. All that remains is to wait for a sunny day for the ice to slide under the rays on its own.

Surprise three: gusty wind

Some areas experience squally winds in winter. It is not dangerous for low-growing, dwarf trees or creeping shrubs, but vertical thujas, tall cedars or spruce trees can easily be uprooted (especially on light sandy loam soils).

If weather forecasters have announced a storm warning, play it safe by putting up guy ropes. They come in two types: fixed to stakes and anchor type.

The essence of the first option is that thick stakes are driven into the ground on four sides near the tree, the height of which is more than half the height of the trunk. A twine is pulled from each support to the trunk. It is not tied on bare bark, but the trunk is first wrapped with roofing felt or a wooden block is placed at the place of tying. True, it will not always be possible to drive stakes into frozen ground in winter, so conifers are strengthened in this way in the fall, especially recently transplanted large ones.

With the help of an anchor stretch, you can not only protect the tree from gusts of wind, but make it grow strictly vertically

The second type - anchor - involves the installation of steel guy wires, which are attached to the tree at one end and pulled onto the anchors at the other. Anchors should be located outside the root system. To protect the trunk from steel, you need to wrap the tree with thick burlap, and use wooden pads on top of it.

Surprise four: February sun

Even the most resistant conifers by the end of winter run the risk of freezing or, conversely, getting burned. At this time, the weather is unstable, and often the sun shines so brightly for days that it provokes an early awakening of the roots. They begin to actively feed the crown, expecting immediate warmth, and then the so-called return frosts can appear. You cannot stop the flow of sap, but you can cover the crown with a thick non-woven material, like lutrasil, or at least put canvas potato bags on the young seedlings.

To prevent the ground from thawing quickly, mulch it with sawdust. Their White color will reflect the sun's rays, and the roots will not awaken so quickly. But when stable heat sets in, the sawdust must be removed immediately so that the plant does not dry out.

Without covering with lutrasil or other non-woven material, the crown of many rare conifers may not withstand the test of severe frosts

Another danger lies in the sun's rays, which burn tender young needles. Therefore, at the end of winter, all annual seedlings and exotic conifers are covered from the south with shields or the crown is completely wrapped in burlap.

It is not advisable to protect conifers from the sun with non-woven material, as it accumulates heat and can increase the drying out of the needles.

To protect from the February sun, you can use burlap or agrofibre, which creates soft twilight inside the shelter and prevents drying out of the needles

Don't worry if some plants' needles turn yellow in winter. This is how junipers and hemlocks react to cold. The color will return in spring.

If you carried out all the security measures on time, the conifers will quickly recover from hibernation and will delight you with their decorative properties.

Decorative coniferous trees look great in parks, gardens, adjacent areas, as well as near administrative buildings. These evergreen spaces not only exude a delicate pine aroma, but are natural antiseptics. Sick people with diseases respiratory tract It is useful to walk in a coniferous forest. But, despite their unpretentiousness, young coniferous plants need protection from harmful influence environment during the winter cold.

Young plantings that are not yet 3 years old become especially vulnerable to cold weather. Their main enemies are:

• cold frosty wind;
• winter thaws accompanied by snowfalls;
• sun rays reflected from the snow.

Strong winter winds dry out the branches, which, when frozen, become brittle and brittle. If possible, it is recommended to plant conifers along buildings, which will serve as a screen from the cold wind for the plantings.

Attention!

Pine and spruce need shelter only in the first year of planting.

Winter thaws lead to sticking large quantity snow on branches and ice formation. Branches weakened by cold winter winds often break under the weight of ice.

The needles of young trees can get severely burned at the end of winter, when the bright sun appears, the rays of which, reflected from the snow, harm the coniferous plantings.

Shelter from snow and ice

To protect lovingly planted yew, cypress or thuja, it is necessary to cover coniferous trees before winter cold, especially in at a young age. They are wrapped in non-woven materials and secured with a stapler or special caps are put on them, which are commercially available and attached to rods stuck into the ground.

Sun protection

To protect a young tree uncovered for the winter from the spring rays, it is necessary to install sun protection on the south side before heavy snowmelt. An awning is made from any available material:

• old sheets sewn together;
• old curtains;
• covering material.

If you don’t want to put up an awning, you can cover the coniferous trees on top with fabric and secure them.

Caring for conifers before shelter

Before you begin to cover conifers for the winter, it is necessary to carry out a number of additional measures that will contribute to the preservation of young plantings. In autumn they produce:

• watering to a depth of 50-60 cm within the radius of the root system (in case of heavy rains, the procedure is canceled);
• adding vermicompost, compost, and dolomite flour will give the plants the strength to survive the winter;
• mulching with pine needles, spruce branches, sawdust, peat (hay is not recommended due to the possibility of rodents) helps preserve the root system;

Attention!

The use of manure and nitrogen fertilizers in the fall is contraindicated, as they will lead to the death of the plantings. winter period.

Sheltering conifers for the winter

To cover a coniferous tree for the winter, you must first tie the branches loosely to the trunk with twine, preferably natural. Then they wrap it:

• burlap;
• spunbond;
• agrofibre;
• lutrasilom;
• kraft paper.

The edges are secured with a stapler.

Shelter of conifers on a trunk

Plants on a trunk require special protection before the onset of cold weather. First thing:

1. Protect the grafting site from frost and wind. Wrap this place with covering material and secure it well.
2. They protect the crown, so it cannot support a heavy mass of snow and breaks off at the grafting site.

Crown protection can be done in several ways:

• Iron rods are dug in around the perimeter, a metal mesh with small cells is wrapped around them, and a bag of burlap or other covering material is put on top;
• from wooden slats a frame is knocked together, onto which covering material is stretched in several layers and attached with a stapler;
• for especially delicate conifers (fir on the Icebreaker trunk) they knock together wooden boxes with lids;
• wrap the entire tree down to the ground with covering material.

By spending some time on these activities, you can protect your pets from the vagaries of the weather.

Conifer shelter

November and early December are suitable for sheltering coniferous plants for the winter.

Winter protection of medium-height shrubs

In the Moscow region, winter shelter for conifers varies somewhat due to their size. To protect medium-sized plants from the wind and sun, most often they make a wooden frame, which is wrapped with covering material and secured with staples using a stapler.

Attention!

In order for the plant to breathe, it is necessary to leave a small gap in the covering material that will not be torn apart by gusts of wind.

Winter protection for low-growing shrubs

For creeping species of juniper and other young conifers, building a shelter for the winter is not difficult. You just have to stock up on spruce branches and cover the young plantings in the form of a cone.

Pine and spruce shelter

Pine and fir trees need shelter only in the first year of planting. In order to insulate a young tree, it is necessary to perform the following manipulations:

• strengthen the ephedra by attaching it to a support;
• mulch the ground around the trunk and cover it with spruce branches;
• Wrap crowns and branches with covering material.

If the tree does not get stronger in the second year of life, the shelter should not be neglected.

Larch shelter

Larch is not afraid of cold, and the need for shelter disappears 2.3 years after planting. In places with heavy snowfall, a tripod is installed above the plant. Wraps up on top suitable material: lutrasil, burlap, old sheets, etc.

Attention!

Plastic bags are not suitable as covering material! Moisture collects inside them, which leads to mold and plant death.

Juniper shelter

This type of conifers is suitable for planting on summer cottages beginning summer residents. For the first 3-4 years, juniper must be protected from burns in the winter; it also needs insulation. Juniper branches are very sensitive to sun rays. First thing:

1. The branches are tied to the trunk with twine.
2. Wrap the plant with covering material or garden bandage.
3. Several metal pins are stuck around the tree, onto which a metal mesh is placed.

Cypress shelter