Even though our climate is more moderate than other parts of the country, we do still have some cold days in the winter. For that reason, you still want to take steps to protect plants in the winter in Louisville.
In this article, we’ll provide some essential winter plant tips that will help set you up for success. When you make smart and thoughtful choices for your landscape, you take major strides toward protecting your long-term investment.
Winterizing outdoor plants isn’t complicated. You just need to know what to do.
Jump to:
Why is winter plant preparation in Louisville important?
When to start winter plant preparation in Louisville
How to assess which plants need protection
What’s involved in winterizing outdoor plants?
Choosing tree and plant health care services
As we mentioned, winters do still get chilly here in Louisville. The average winter temperature in our region is 37 degrees! The cold-weather conditions can be tough on plants, making winter plant preparation valuable.
Getting your plants ready for the colder season can help prevent damage that can be caused by freezing temperatures, winds, ice, and more. It will help preserve their health going into the spring.
Even taking some simple steps can go a long way in setting your landscape up for success.
Things like mulching, pruning, and covering certain plants can help prepare your landscape for the winter.
Winter prep in the yard starts in the fall with clean-up tasks like raking up leaves and other debris. By late October to early November, you should begin to focus on specifically prepping plants for the winter, before temperatures consistently start dipping down to freezing.
In order to get the maximum benefits out of tasks like covering your plants or mulching to insulate plant roots, you want to ensure these are done ahead of recurring freezing temperatures.
It’s helpful to have a good understanding of what’s growing in your landscape as some plants can stand up better to the cold weather than others.
In general, it should always be the goal to install plants that are suited to our region. That means choosing plants that are in our “planting zone.”
Planting zones, also called “growing zones,” “gardening zones,” or “hardiness zones” all reference a map created by the USDA which divides the United States into regions based on the average low winter temperatures.
Louisville is in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7a.
Plants that are suited to withstand our winters are always going to fare best. Of course, sometimes homeowners end up with plants on their property that aren’t native to the region. These plants may be more likely to struggle in the cold.
In addition, newly installed plants are going to be more susceptible to cold-weather conditions than mature and established plants.
Some homeowners also choose to protect certain plants that have significant sentimental or monetary value to them. All plants can benefit from winter protection (as there can be unexpected weather conditions), but it’s not always possible to prep your entire property.
There are a few different things that we’d recommend to set your plants up for winter success. Here’s what you should know.
Mulching plays an important role in protecting plants from freezing temperatures by insulating the roots. Mulch acts as a protective layer that helps to moderate the soil temperature.
This works the same way in the spring and summer, as temperatures heat up. Mulch acts as an insulator that plays a role in preventing soil temperatures from heating up too much.
You actually want to wait until the first frost to mulch plants and insulate their roots. If you mulch too early, and keep the soil warm, you could prevent plants from entering their natural state of dormancy. You want plants to go into dormancy as it is a natural mode of protection in the winter.
You should also aim to prevent frost damage by covering delicate plants in the landscape. Frost can harm a plant by causing the water inside of the plant to freeze. This leads to plant cells bursting, which can be deadly to the plant.
Frost damage can occur anytime that the temperatures dip below freezing.
Protecting fragile plants involves covering them in a breathable material, such as burlap or blankets. Avoid using plastic as this material is not breathable and can create a “greenhouse effect” by causing trapped air to overheat inside of the plastic.
Keep in mind that many of your landscape plants will go into a state of dormancy in the winter, which puts them into natural protection mode.
Plants are more susceptible to frost damage in the early winter (before dormancy has set in) or late winter/early spring, as your plants come out of dormancy so keep an eye on temperatures during these “fringe” periods.
Plan to cover your plants anytime that the temperature is predicted to drop below 30 degrees.
Pruning plays a valuable role in protecting plants in the winter. Proper pruning goes a long way in preventing storm damage and also ensuring that your trees and shrubs will survive winter conditions.
Ornamental trees, in particular, can be pruned so that any defects or weak branches are removed. This gives your trees a greater chance to withstand pressure from wind, snow, or ice (which can accumulate on branches and make them more likely to break).
Shrubs can also be shaped to be as tight as possible in an effort to prevent snow from falling inside and splaying them open.
The winter can actually be an excellent time for pruning trees and shrubs as they will be in a state of dormancy. This makes the process less stressful on the plant. For deciduous trees, which lose their leaves, it’s also the best time to see all of the branches and make strategic cuts.
If you have container gardens or potted plants, you might also need to take special care to winterize these plants.
Plants that are in containers should probably be moved to a sheltered location. You can also take care to wrap the pots in materials like bubble wrap or burlap. For added protection, add some mulch.
Some plants may need to be moved inside. Plants that are not cold-hardy, such as any tropical plants you may have in a pot, should be brought indoors during the winter months.
Protecting plants in winter can feel daunting but you don’t have to do it all on your own. You can partner with a professional offering tree and plant health care services in Louisville to ensure you are taking all of the right steps.
When you choose the right partner, you can ensure they’ll be looking out for you and providing helpful advice along the way.
Without a doubt, your best course of action is preventative care.
A tree care company can help guide you in some of the tasks that will be needed to keep your trees, shrubs, and other plants in optimal health.
At Limbwalker, when you invest in our tree and plant health care or our pruning services, you’re getting an expert on your side. We can help you make the best choices for your property.
This means letting go of worries and knowing that your landscape is in good hands.
You deserve to be able to enjoy your landscape. When you invest in tree services and plant health care, you can gain valuable peace of mind.
If you’d like to learn more about tree services for your Louisville home, get in touch, get your quote, and get back to enjoying your yard.