Conifers in the garden and their shelter for the winter. Conifers: how to prepare for winter and protect them from the vicissitudes of the weather What conifers cover for the winter

It seems that conifers even in middle lane Russia feels 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 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.

Preparing for winter coniferous plants need to start early. 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 whole point is that wet soil does not freeze as much and cools less than dry. This is especially important if the winter is expected to be snowless, but with frost. Of course, in a 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 what a burden it is for thin branches coniferous trees the colossus of snow that falls on them. 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.

How to cover coniferous plants for the winter Each of us wants to decorate our country cottage area, somehow distinguish it from the rest, and one of the most popular ways is planting coniferous trees. This is due to their beauty, durability and relative unpretentiousness. If the tree takes root, then, in most cases, it will delight you for several decades. The most dangerous period after planting is the first winter. This happens due to the fact that it is necessary to plant conifers in the fall, after the end of the growing season, and a fragile tree can completely “freeze out” during severe cold weather. Therefore, the question of whether it is necessary to cover conifers for the winter should not arise. Naturally, you can follow the old proven method: chop spruce branches and wide spruce branches in the nearest forest and cover your plantings with them. This method is good for its versatility, but this is also its disadvantage, because it does not take into account the individual requirements of each tree. This means that in order to achieve the most favorable effect, it is necessary to consider each breed separately. The article will discuss ways to “insulate” such popular trees as: spruce; pine; larch. juniper; thuja; cypress; yew; fir. Covering conifers for the winter How to cover a spruce for the winter When we talk about this type of tree, we usually mean European or common spruce. It is more unpretentious than most other coniferous trees winter cold. The danger lies in two points: - wind and wet snow, which can break the tree; - spring burns, which can lead to the death of branches. To prevent this, it is necessary, firstly, to strengthen the tree by tying it to a peg driven into the ground or installing a tripod. Secondly, protect from the spring sun. Both the covering material and the spruce branches indicated above are perfect for these purposes. Repeat this procedure the first ones are better two to three years. After this, the tree will finally get stronger and will feel great in winter time of the year. How to cover a pine tree for the winter Pine is the second most popular tree in the middle forest belt. This is due to both the good survival rate and the attractive appearance of the tree. It would seem that pine belongs to the same family as the Christmas tree, but due to the structure of the trunk it is somewhat more demanding than its relative. In the first winter, the branches of the tree may be broken by the adhering snow, which means that it must be covered more thoroughly. The following scheme is best suited: - the branches and crown of the seedling must be covered with covering material - this will protect the tree itself; - line the bottom with spruce branches or cover with sawdust to protect the root system from freezing. Like spruce, in the fourth year of life the risk of causing irreparable harm to the tree in the winter season sharply decreases and the need to cover the pine disappears. How to cover larch for the winter Larches are also frost-resistant trees and preparation for winter is required only in the first two to three years. This is done using the same methods as in the case of pine or spruce: - covering the trunk with a tripod or non-woven material; - protection of the rhizome by insulating it with sawdust or spruce branches. However, with the last point, larch is doing somewhat better: already in the second year, fallen needles provide sufficient protection from frost for the tree to survive. How to cover a juniper for the winter Juniper is one of the most optimal choices, for novice summer residents who want to have something decorative on their plot, but the usual coniferous trees have caused calluses on their eyes. Those who planted it on the site have a question: do they need to cover the juniper for the winter? Most varieties are extremely frost-resistant, with the exception of a few southern species. In winter, for this evergreen shrub, in addition to the already known problems, the following are also dangerous: - breaking of branches; - spring and Winter sun which may cause burns. In the first years of life the best option There will be a careful wrapping of the trunk with ropes, tightening them a little. This will protect the crown of the seedling. After, the best option there will be the creation of a shelter by means of poles stuck into the ground, which create a pyramid, and the covering of this structure with covering material. The top must be left so that the juniper can breathe in its shelter. When the tree grows, the creation of such structures becomes difficult and the crown of the tree is usually wrapped in covering material, tied with string or twine. Usually, in the fifth or sixth year, juniper calmly endures winter without any additional tricks. Thuja, how to cover for the winter Thuja is one of the most popular trees used in landscape design. But all the work on planting and caring for it can go to waste if you don’t prepare it for winter period. Thuja is another representative of the cypress family, which has sufficient frost resistance to survive the winter in the middle zone. But as with its other relatives, it is extremely undesirable for a tree to remain uncovered in the cold. What needs to be done first is to cover the thujas for the winter from snow, which can deform the trunk and bend the top; this will lead to a loss of aesthetic appearance, which is extremely difficult to return. Read also: Summer varieties of apple trees - which one to plant depending on the region Usually, any covering material is used for these purposes white, spunbond, burlap, a tree cover is sewn from it, which is then “put on” on top. Or the tree is simply carefully wrapped and tied with rope over the material to form a trunk and secure the entire structure. In this form, the thuja survives the winter. It is better to free the tree from the cover at the moment when the average temperature outside is several degrees above zero, and the ground has moved away from the cold. This will protect the thuja from sunburn and night frosts, which are typical for spring in the middle zone. The root system of this tree is no less demanding in preparation for the winter season, since in some regions, due to soil freezing, the plant may die due to a lack of moisture received. The best solution is a layer of grass and leaves, which is generously sprinkled on the area under the crown of the tree, this will provide both a temperature cushion and additional feeding of the tree in the future. How to cover a cypress tree for the winter Cypress tree - bush evergreen from the cypress genus. Usually, in the middle forest belt, it is grown in tubs or pots and put away indoors for the winter, where the plant lives quietly until autumn. In the first years of life, in order to instill frost resistance in the tree and weed out plants unsuitable for growing, the cypress tree must be planted in the ground, and in the winter it should be covered with spruce branches, large sawdust or loose snow. After two years of such selection, the surviving seedlings will have excellent frost resistance. If an adult cypress tree is nevertheless planted in the ground on the site, then in order for the tree to be happy in subsequent years, you need to seriously take care of its protection and know how to properly cover the cypress tree for the winter. At first, you need to carefully wrap the bush, slightly tightening it, with string or twine; this must be done carefully so as not to damage the rather delicate branches of the tree. Afterwards, you need to cover the cypress tree for the winter with a piece of burlap or any other light-colored material, leaving ventilation holes. The root system must be insulated with sawdust, last year's leaves, mixed with grass or spruce branches. This will also protect the tree from sunburn in the spring. It is best to open the cypress tree after the snow has completely melted. Yew, shelter for the winter Yew is one of the most ancient coniferous plants that has survived to our time in its almost original form. Its habitat is basically exclusively warm countries, which means that it is extremely sensitive to temperature changes and can die from phenomena such as snow. If the tree is small, then it is best to sew a cover for it for the winter, after carefully forming the crown and closing it with string, leaving holes for ventilation. It is extremely important that the material is light, or preferably white, because wood in a dark wrapper may die due to greenhouse effect and condensate. It is also better to insulate the roots of the plant by covering them with a layer of mown grass, spruce branches or sawdust. Fir, shelter for the winter Fir is a relative of pine and spruce, and some of its species, especially those native to Siberia, are able to survive in frosts down to minus fifty degrees. Therefore, only young seedlings need protection. For protection, spruce branches are used, which cover both the rhizome of the young shoot and the crown. Then, when the first snow falls, the structure is filled up and in this state waits for the thaw. To summarize, we can say that whatever coniferous plant is chosen for planting on your site, you need to take care of preparing it for the coming winter. Especially if the seedling is one or two years old or is not known at all. It is in the first three years of its life that it develops its frost-resistant qualities and adapts to the conditions in a new place. Some useful facts in conclusion Before preparing for winter, you need to water your tree thoroughly. This will allow it to feed itself for the next few months, when there will be no moisture coming from outside. Do not forget that covering the root system - mulching - is mandatory if we want to preserve our plant. Coniferous plants are evergreen, with the exception of larch, and photosynthesis in their cells does not stop. Therefore, it is necessary that sunlight penetrates the crown even during shelter. If despite accepted protective measures from sunburn, by spring the needles on the plants have lost their usual color, then the branches begin to be regularly sprinkled with water, and on sunny days the plant is shaded. Trees need to be watered warm water in small portions. When the air temperature becomes about +10 C, the crowns of the affected conifers need to be treated with biostimulants for growth, for example, HB 101 or Epin.

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 they insulate trunk circle conifer with a layer of sawdust, straw, peat or pine needles. Next, wrap the barrel with spunbond non-woven material, which is resistant to weather changes, or with 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 get sunburned. 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”.

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 affected by 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.

But there is a group ornamental crops, which need to be taken care of even after frosts, in the spring. Ice rain, heavy snowfall and bright spring sun can ruin the crown of conifers, or even burn the plants to the ground. Therefore, when preparing plants for winter, it is so important to provide them with shelter to protect them from snow, ice, and sunburn.

Timing of sheltering conifers for the winter

All measures for sheltering conifers can be carried out both in autumn and in the first half of winter. Under such shelters, conifers will be safe from any weather surprises, and the gardener’s soul will be calm all winter.

In order to survive the winter, plants must be strong and healthy. Therefore, it is so important to pay attention not only to preparing for winter, but also correct landing and caring for conifers:

Sheltering conifers from snow and ice

After long snowfalls the crown junipers and it doesn't look in the best possible way– individual branches bend to the ground, or even break completely. It is good when it is possible to shake off trees immediately after the end of snowfall, but often this is not possible.

Shelter of thuja and juniper

1. To prevent damage to the crown, I tie the tree crowns with a special wide garden bandage.
2. I start tying from the top and move down so that the winding does not fly off.
3. After wrapping with bandages, I place 3-4 metal rods around the conifers - they should be the same height as the plant or slightly higher. In the spring you don’t have to pull them out - they won’t be noticeable in the crown.
4. I wrap the rods in plastic coarse mesh. This mesh is an excellent basis for further shelter from the spring sun and additional insurance against breaking the crown.
5. For varieties, cover is limited to wrapping the crown with a bandage and attaching the mesh to the rods - on spring sun it does not burn, and is not afraid of frost.

How to make garden bandages with your own hands:

• take a regular covering material, it is better to take one with a thickness of 60,
• cut strips from it for winding.

I also have one more contender for protection from snowfalls - dwarf pine "Spielberg". It has thin branches with fluffy paws at the end, which break off at the slightest snow load. I tie it very tightly.

Sheltering conifers from sunburn

All varieties juniper , spruce konica And fir "Silberloke" on top plastic mesh I wrap it in burlap or unnecessary sheets, because they burn first in the spring sun, especially the conika.

For small specimens, like conic and fir, you can limit yourself to a few rods - dig them around the perimeter of the crown and wrap them with burlap.

• Covering material such as spunbond, agril, lutrasil, etc. They are not suitable as sun protection, because according to the manufacturers, they perfectly transmit the sun, which means that the conifers under it will burn immediately.
• Unnecessary old blackout curtains also keep the sun out. In winter, I sew them and sheets together several at a time so that I can throw them on in one fell swoop and secure them.

For more information on protecting conifers from burning in winter, watch the video:

Shelter of conifers on a trunk

Conifers on a trunk deserve special pre-winter attention. Depending on the size of the crown, I cover them differently.

1. At the same time, everyone grafted conifers There is a weak point - the graft, I always wrap it with a piece of covering material and secure it firmly with ropes. If you conscientiously tie the grafting site, then standard conifers will not be afraid of any frost.
2. The second danger facing plants is breaking off the crown from the trunk as a result of the accumulation of a fair amount of snow. The crowns of grafted conifers cannot bear much weight and, as a result, break at the grafting site.
3. So, it has a wide crown blue spruce on the standard. I place metal rods around the perimeter and stretch fine mesh on top. metal mesh, and I put burlap on it. It turns out that no matter how much snow falls, it does not touch the crown, and all the weight falls on the mesh. I also cover pine bonsai .
4. Recognized star of the garden - fir on the Icebreaker trunk she is afraid of both the sun and the weight of the snow at the same time, so I lower a wooden box onto it and put a “roof” on top.
5. Small crowns of standard conifers, for example, larch , I wrap it completely with covering material, including the crown and the trunk itself to the ground - in my experience, it is to some extent afraid of frost.

Photo: fir shelter

Conifer shelter (video)

For more information on how to cover thuja, junipers, conika, fir for the winter and protect conifers from the sun, the weight of snow and freezing rain, see my video