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Protecting Plants
Things to do:
- Cut back dry stems of perennials
to soil level after frost to neaten the garden and remove pest
eggs and disease spores that may linger.
- Compost dead plant debris to
create an organic soil conditioner.
- Cut off diseased foliage from
evergreen plants and shrubs and discard it in the trash.
- To prevent rodents from nesting
in the soil, wait until the ground freezes before adding a 6-inch
layer of organic material as winter mulch.
- Mulch perennial and shrub beds
with pine needles or chopped leaves.
- Protect the tender bark of young
trees from gnawing critters by wrapping stems or trunks with
wire or commercial tree-guard products.
Winterizing Roses
As a group, hybrid tea roses
are the most vulnerable to winter cold and need the most preparation.
The complexity of this job depends on how severe the winters
typically are in your part of the country.
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