Winterizing your home landscape and garden

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The recent blast of cold weather has led to numerous calls asking how to protect plants in the landscape.

Most landscape plants that are healthy and hardy to zone 6 will have no problem surviving the seasonal temperatures. There are several things you can do in the fall to help winterize your plants.

Do not fertilize in the late fall. This can stimulate new growth that is very susceptible to frost and freezes.

The same with pruning.

Mulch in the fall. This will help plants to retains moisture and insulate the root system. This is especially important for woody ornamentals planted in the fall.

Move containerize woody ornamentals into an area that stays above freezing such as your garage. Container plants have a root system that is above ground without surrounding to protect so it will freeze kill the plant.

If we have a heavy blanket of snow, the weight can bend or break a shrub. If you notice a shrub bent, you can gently shake the branches or use a broom to sweep to remove the snow. This will prevent a shrub from being permanently bent or damaged.

For more information, contact Kim Hupman at OSU Extension Greene County at 937-372-9971.

CFAES provides research and related educational programs to clientele a nondiscriminatory basis. For more information, visit cfaesdiversity.osu.edu. For an accessible format of this publication, visit cfaes.osu.edu/accessibility.

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Kim Hupman

Kim Hupman is the OSU Extension horticulture program assistant.

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