How to cover coniferous plants for the winter. Features of covering coniferous plants for the winter and tips for preparing for frost

Decorative coniferous trees They look great in parks, gardens, in adjacent areas, as well as near administrative buildings. These everlasting green spaces not only exude gentle 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 influences environment during 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 the accumulation of large amounts of snow on the branches and the formation of ice. 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 the winter cold, especially 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 what is uncovered for the winter young tree from 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, dolomite flour will give plants 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;
• lutrasil;
• 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 and wrapped around them metal mesh with small cells, put a bag of burlap or other covering material 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

For shelter coniferous plants November and early December are suitable for 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, they most often do 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 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 sunlight. 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

Conifers are the most frost-resistant plants grown in middle lane Russia. If adult plants are sufficiently strong and formed, then young shrubs cannot withstand the effects of cold weather on their own. To protect them from exposure subzero temperatures, wind, ice and snow, create a reliable shelter.

The most vulnerable in winter are young plantings that are not yet 3 years old. Show them the utmost care. They must be covered for the following purposes:

• so that the cold wind does not dry out the branches;
• to prevent their fragility and brittleness;
• to prevent burns from sun rays reflected from the snow.

Mature trees also need to be covered. During heavy rainfall, branches may break under the weight of snow. Conifers older than 3 years can withstand exposure to sunlight and gusts of cold wind, so there is no need to protect them.

How to cover

Cover spruce, pine, fir and other conifers with spruce branches, burlap or white spunbond. Tree protection work can be done independently; it consists of several stages:

1. Place at the root trunk thin layer sawdust, peat or spruce branches. For this purpose, you can use spruce or pine needles.
2. Gently press the branches to the trunk and tie them with thick, tight rope. There is no need to tighten it too much.
3. Create a frame using stakes or metal rods. Do this carefully so that it does not touch the branches. Great alternative– application plastic mesh. It is flexible, so it is easy to create a frame of any size and shape.
4. Cover the plant with previously prepared material. Experienced gardeners It is recommended to use spunbond or agrofibre for this purpose. Firstly, he has good thermal insulation properties. Secondly, it perfectly allows air and steam to pass through, which avoids fogging. Secure the material together with a stapler.

As spring approaches, create an additional barrier over young conifers to prevent sun damage to evergreen trees. After the frost has subsided, periodically remove the shelter to provide ventilation.

Low-growing conifers

The easiest way to preserve a small plant in winter is to nail a rail near it and hang it on it. flower pot or a small bucket. Carefully place the covering material over such a frame and connect it with a stapler. This measure will prevent the crown of the conifer from sagging due to heavy rainfall; a pot or bucket will serve protective function.

If there is no special covering material, you can protect small conifers with spruce bast shoes. Gather them around a cone-shaped tree and tie it with twine. If the plant crop has a weak and unstable root system, additionally cover the area around the base of the trunk with mulch.

Medium shrubs

To cover conifers average size create a wooden frame. Gather the rods into a cone shape and secure them together using staples. Place the covering material on top of the frame and fasten it with a stapler. It is important that it does not fit tightly to the tree, as the needles may fall off and fragile branches may break.

When to cover different types of trees

Best time to create a protective frame for plants - the second half of October - the first half of November. It is important that the weather outside is dry, accompanied by the onset of stable cold weather. Only young plants need shelter. Their age for protection depends on the type of plant crop:

Mature trees in central Russia do not need to be covered. They are already strong enough to withstand the effects of frost, gusts of wind and sunlight. The only thing you need to do is to periodically monitor the condition of the branches and clear them of snow.

Additional care

• In dry autumn, water the plant near the root generously with water. room temperature;
• Before mulching the area around the trunk, additionally feed the soil with compost or vermicompost to provide the plant with nutrients;
• when spring comes, hide the conifer from the sun's rays;
• when the temperature stabilizes at about 10 degrees Celsius, additionally spray the crown warm water or special biostimulants.

Coniferous trees are plants that do not require careful care. But if before the onset of winter you do not provide for them complete care And reliable protection, then they may be susceptible to disease or not survive until spring. Cover young trees before the onset of cold weather so that you don’t have to restore them later.

When preparing coniferous plants for winter, be sure to carry out moisture-recharging irrigation, protect new plantings from direct sunlight, and protect plants with spherical and conical crowns from breaking by snow. So, what exactly needs to be done in the garden when preparing coniferous plants for winter.

Moisture-recharging irrigation

At the end of leaf fall, water the coniferous plants well at the root (5-8 buckets per plant). Don’t waste time on forest trees and old, time-tested plantings of thujas, pines, spruces: they have developed roots and will take care of themselves. Watering before winter is desirable for all plantings made in the past and current seasons; for varietal specimens and exotics, regardless of the time of planting (there are also very resistant ones among them, but if you are a beginner gardener, it is easier to water everything than to sort it out - there will be no harm from this).

The crown of conifers wakes up early, often when the roots cannot yet provide it with moisture due to frozen soil. Hence, burning of needles is a common problem in the middle zone. Well-moistened soil freezes to a shallower depth, which reduces the risk of spring damage.

Consolidation of new plantings

The crown of a coniferous plant collects a lot of snow. If there is heavy snowfall at above-zero temperatures, such a snow mass may stick to the branches that the seedlings that have not had time to take root will be uprooted. After freezing rain, even small plants, up to a meter tall, fall and tilt. In anticipation of snowfalls, thoroughly secure all plantings of the current year with guy wires to prevent even small movements: because of them, small roots are torn off and the survival period of plants is delayed.

Protecting conifers from burns

Columnar junipers, cypress trees, varieties of thuja, the crowns of which burned in past years, and all varieties of Canadian spruce need to be additionally protected from sunburn with a shelter. Lutrasil and other covering materials are not suitable: solar heat accumulates under them, and this is precisely what we do not need. The purpose of the shelter is to shade the crown and prevent it from heating up. Burlap, a special mesh or even woven polypropylene panels perform this function well. They are placed on the plant and tied with twine (do not pull the branches too tightly!). Do not try to wall up the crown tightly - let the “vents” remain. Large specimens need to be shaded only on the south side.

In the photo: Protecting thuja from sunburn

In the photo: Tui suffering from sunburn

Crown tying

For varieties of thuja and young pines that are resistant to the spring sun and which you do not intend to shade from burns, do not tie the branches tightly so that under the yoke of snow or (God forbid) freezing rain they do not bend or break. In some years, even local forest pines suffer from snowbreaker.

What to do, if...

No precaution provides complete protection from bad weather. Therefore, it is useful to know what to do if:

… a lot of sticky snow fell

Knock the snow off the branches with a pole or board wrapped around soft cloth. Do not shake the trees, do not hit them with all your might: tap them often with small jolts so as not to damage the bark and the branches themselves (in winter they lose their elasticity and break easily).

... it was freezing rain

Using supports and ties, try to give the branches their original position. Do not try to melt the ice on the branches with a hairdryer or warm water - the buds may wake up prematurely from the heat, and a new one will be added to the already existing problem. The ice will melt off on its own with the onset of sunny weather, even if the air temperature is still negative.

In the photo: Icy rain on coniferous plants

... in the spring the needles on the plants turned yellow or discolored

Having noticed this, immediately shade the crown by first spraying it with water if the weather is sunny. Water the affected plant with warm water. If the water spreads without being absorbed, then the soil is still frozen. Then water several times a day in small portions. When the daytime temperature steadily rises to +10°C, treat the crown with Epin, Zircon or HB 101.

It seems that conifers, even in central Russia, feel absolutely calm in winter, because we are used to seeing spruce and pine trees in our forests. However, now personal plots Increasingly, other conifers are appearing that are not entirely familiar in our region. This is a thuja Canadian spruce, cypresses, yews, junipers. When purchasing coniferous bushes and trees, it is important to pay attention to the frost resistance of the variety. But, even if you made the right choice, the plant must be prepared for winter, especially in the first two to three years after planting.

Preparations for winter for coniferous plants need to begin in advance. From the beginning of August, fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers is stopped in order to reduce the growth of young shoots, which will no longer have time to ripen by winter and, naturally, will freeze.

Pre-winter watering

If winters in your region are frosty, deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs need to be well watered in late autumn. This will help them endure frosts more easily. Pre-winter watering is done after the trees have shed their leaves. They spill the soil 50 - 60 cm deep along the entire circumference of the crown (this is where the thin absorbent roots are located), and not just near the trunk. The thing is that wet soil does not freeze as much and cools less than dry soil. This is especially important if the winter is expected to be snowless, but with frost. Of course, when rainy autumn There will be enough moisture without watering.

If you water trees correctly in late autumn, the trunk and crown will be saturated with moisture. I repeat, this is also important for deciduous trees, for their spring
sap flow, but especially for evergreens. In early spring When the sun starts to get hot, the needles will actively evaporate moisture. But the ground is still frozen, the tree has nowhere to replenish its water supplies. And the needles simply dry out from the wind and sun. In the spring we often see whitish, thinned, lifeless needles, which then fall off.

The tree trunk circles must be mulched with organic matter; you can use sawdust, pine needles or spruce branches. This is especially important for young conifers planted this or last year. In early spring, the mulch should be removed so that the soil under the trees warms up faster.

Strengthening the crown from snow

Imagine how heavy the weight of snow that falls on them is for the thin branches of coniferous trees. Even if they don’t break off, it will be difficult for them to recover in the spring; they will lose their decorative value for a long time. Therefore, in the fall they need to be tied with twine, preferably synthetic, so that it does not get wet or tear. Small coniferous trees and bushes can be wrapped in netting.

Trees planted this year have not yet had time to take root properly in the ground. Therefore, they need to be secured with braces.

Shelter from frost

Conifers are not sissies, they suffer more not from frost, but because they did not have time to take root at the planting site and did not grow a large number of new roots are not saturated with moisture. Often it is enough to simply wrap conifers with twine or netting to prevent the branches from breaking off. You can cover only young ones, planted this year or not frost-resistant, but it is better not to buy such ones.

Evergreen trees do not “fall asleep” for the winter, unlike deciduous trees. Their green needles or leaves continue to produce chlorophyll in winter, but only to a lesser extent. And for the production of chlorophyll, as is known, it is required sunlight. Therefore, it is impossible to cover evergreen trees with dense material that does not transmit light. If you doubt the frost resistance of your conifer, loosely tie it with thin burlap for the winter. Do not use polyethylene or thick non-woven material under any circumstances, this can lead to damping off of the plant, especially if there is a thaw in the winter. Non-woven materials such as lutrasil, agrotex or spunbond, which are now so popular, are not used in winter. They let heat in and do not give it back, so in the winter months the plants under them easily damp out. But from low temperatures these materials will not save you.

Plants are covered only with the onset of stable cold weather, when night temperatures are already below freezing. Even non-frost-resistant conifers can easily withstand temperatures down to -5 o C.

Autumn is the time when dachas and garden plots need to think about the upcoming winter and how to keep plants from freezing. Having coniferous plants on your property is prestigious, luxurious and beautiful. They take a long time to grow and you certainly don’t want one single winter to significantly spoil them. appearance beauties This is especially true for young conifer seedlings.

If the ephedra grows in a container and is not too bulky in size, then the most in a fast way protection from frost - bring it indoors. However, this is not always possible. Therefore, the ephedra in a container is covered with spruce branches for the winter. The branches are laid around the container using the “hut” method. If possible, place bags filled with straw or sawdust under them. Since in winter the winds can be strong and even stormy, it is better to sprinkle the spruce branches with additional soil.

When, then the measures for sheltering for the winter are slightly different from the previous option. First, the conifer tree trunk circle is insulated with a layer of sawdust, straw, peat or pine needles. Next, wrap the trunk non-woven material spunbond, which is resistant to weather changes or burlap. Tie it down so the wind doesn't blow it away. Polyethylene films They are not suitable for covering coniferous plants for the winter; they put the tree into a state of blockage. It is advisable to install screens for protection from wind and spring sun.

If the coniferous plant is spreading, then in winter the branches may break due to snowfall, so to cover them for the winter, the branches are tied and another equally important device is built - a canopy or screen from the wind. If for some reason it was not possible to make a canopy, then after each heavy snowfall, try to appear on the site to shake off the snow from the branches. If after a snowy winter the branches still break, then the small ones are removed and the large ones are pulled together. Cedar, pine and cypress are especially affected by this.
Tall conifers (juniper or thuja) are quite difficult to cover for the winter, but tying the branches is quite possible.

Mature cedars, yew, fir, spruce and pine trees, whose age exceeds 4-5 years, do not need to be covered for the winter, only young seedlings.

In the spring, when the sun begins to appear, coniferous plants often receive sunburn. This can be determined by yellowed needles. This is very serious damage, so it is better not to remove any shelters until the end of April, in particular this applies to awnings, screens and windings. It is better to do this in cloudy weather. A in the fall, before frost, you need to water and mulch generously so that the conifers can tolerate temperature changes as painlessly as possible.

After winter, if the coniferous plant has lost its color, then shade it and lightly spray the branches with warm water, and when the outside air temperature is stable at +10°C, treat it with the biostimulant “” or “Zircon”.