Protecting Plants Against Cold
Many amateur gardeners prefer to do their planting in the spring of the year, although certain plants are set out in the fall. Yet even if you prefer to plant in the spring, you must not neglect your gardens in the late autumn and winter months, or your plants will be sure to suffer. Here are some useful suggestions.
Suppose that two or three new rose trees and perhaps some rose cuttings have been planted in our garden. Suppose now that a spell of frost comes, and after that, naturally, a thaw. The ground becomes quite soft and loose. The plants - whether roses or anything else, for that matter - that are not firmly established in the soil, become loosened with the soil, and lose the little grip they had obtained upon it.
This is the one thing to fear, for if it happens and is not remedied, without a doubt the plants will die. But, fortunately, it is a state of things quite easy to remedy. It simply means treading or otherwise making the soil firm and close about the plants, as it was before the frost acted upon it. The loose soil danger is then avoided.
Action of Frost
Though the action of the frost on the soil may be a source of danger to newly planted trees and cuttings, we must bear in mind that, apart from this, the frost does a great deal to sweeten the soil and to put it in excellent condition. For this reason any bit of the ground that is not occupied by plants should be dug up so that the frost may penetrate and do the utmost good.
How does a gardener regard a heavy fall of snow over his many plants? As Nature’s wisest and best protection from the bitter winds and frosts. No wind can hurt our plants when they are safely under their snow blanket. But often the winter winds and frosts are keen and biting when there is no snow upon the ground. This is the hardest trial our plants have to bear.
If we are able to gather a few armfuls of fresh straw, we may put it round such plants as the rhododendron, and even round about a rose tree that is unusually fragile and anything else for which we have reason to fear. If some of these rather tender subjects die down completely, and are below ground for the winter, we may cover the earth above them with dry leaves or with ashes. Either of these is very helpful in keeping the frost from reaching them.
Violets in Cold Frames
We have hitherto dealt with plants that grow in the open. Even in the case of violets or other flowers that grow in cold-frames or hotbeds (beds of earth covered with glass tops) there are some simple rules that should be observed if these flowers are to thrive when the cold weather comes.
Never coddle violets; they are hardy, brave little plants, and they strongly object to being treated as if they were tender and fragile. If they could speak, how often they would plead for air, air, air, more air! You ought to have gathered many pretty blooms from the violets before the cold weather sets in. They will be protected by their frames when sharp autumn winds threaten. You will continue to pick pretty bouquets and have the prospect of gathering a fine bunch on Christmas morning, though the time the plants flower will, to a certain extent, depend upon the variety which is being grown.
Very little water - generally none at allis needed for weeks at a time at this season. Unless the thermometer shows that it is freezing, or there is a sharp wind, raise the lid during the warmest portion of the slay. Even at night, unless very cold, the lid need not be closed entirely, but the opening can be covered with a bit of sacking, and in this way there will be a slight amount of ventilation.
You will think, perhaps, that great importance is being laid on giving plants sufficient air. But there is nothing like it to keep them healthy. Insufficient air generally means that leaves become affected with mildew, and whole plants may “damp off,” as it is called. But in really severe weather, we must run the risk of that for a short time. During sharp frosts the lids go down, and mats or anything we can lay hands on may be used to cover them. Do not forget to remove the coverings when warmer weather sets in.
Potted Plants
Our pot plants that we are sheltering in the house or in a greenhouse will now need less water than at other seasons when they are growing freely. In the winter a great many of them go almost to rest; at any rate, they are not pushing out new growths unless kept at a high temperature. Never let a pot plant stand in a saucer of water.
