With winter comes the opportunity to retreat outdoors, reflect and plan for the active growing season. Even during the winter months, your garden requires care and attention to protect it from the damaging effects of snow, ice, and salt. It can create havoc on your landscape – affecting both the plant’s and soil’s health. Keep reading to find out how to safeguard your garden from the harsh winter elements with tips on garden maintenance in Dublin.
Understanding Winter Challenges
During winter, it’s normal for snow and ice to accumulate on branches and leaves. This weighs down the branches – leading to breakage and damage. Especially for smaller trees and shrubs – heavy snow and ice can even bend or snap branches under their weight. For instance, boxwood shrubs are particularly vulnerable to splitting under the weight of heavy snow or ice.
When this snow melts, it causes waterlogging and suffocates the roots, particularly in poorly drained areas. To combat these issues, Dublin garden services become crucial, ensuring that your plants remain healthy and protected.
Another concern for winter lies in the insidious nature of road salt. While it is essential to keep the roads safe during icy conditions, but it can seriously damage your garden. Wondering how? After spreading the salt, it seeps into the soil, altering its chemistry and making it difficult for the plants to absorb the water. Additionally, salt can burn plant roots and foliage.
How To Manage Snow and Ice?
Here are some tips to protect your plants from snow and ice:
- Remove Snow Regularly: Stay proactive by removing snow from plants after every two inches of accumulation rather than waiting for it to pile up heavier.
- Remove Snow Gently: Use a broom to gently sweep the snow upwards to remove it. If you sweep them downwards, you run the risk of breaking the branches.
- Protect Vulnerable Plants: Set up a protective cage or snow fencing for the plants. You can also use a stake to support the interior branches and prevent stress from heavy snow.
- Tie Plants up: Before the snow hits, tie the branches of soft shrubs and conifers into a cone shape.
- Don’t Remove Ice: In case there is too much ice on the branches, don’t try to remove the ice as it can cause further damage. Just wait until the temperature is warm to assess the extent of damage.
How To Prevent Salt Damage?
Now, the second part of winter garden maintenance in Dublin is knowing how to protect your landscape from salt damage. Here are the tips:
- Use Salt Alternative: Coarse sand, gravel, and even kitty litter are eco-friendly alternatives to salt. Though they are not that effective in melting ice but, they add a great deal of traction to the ground.
- Install Barriers: Burlap screens or plastic snow fences can act as a barrier from salt spray. If you’re concerned about the aesthetics, wrap the plants in burlap.
- Use Less Salt: Avoid excess salt usage by mixing it with coarse sand. For more vulnerable areas like walkways, you can use salt instead.
- Shovel Away From the Landscape: When shoveling, be mindful to ensure that the salty snow is moved away from the landscape.
Additional Tips For Winter Garden Maintenance in Dublin
Here are some additional tips for your winter garden maintenance:
- Reduce Foot Traffic on Lawn: Grass that is covered in snow is more likely to be uprooted or damaged. So, keeping away from the grass will prevent the snow from compacting and allow it to melt faster.
- Prune Away Broken Branches: As soon as the ice melts, hire professional gardeners in Dublin and prune away all broken branches to prevent diseases. Make sure to make clean cuts, as jagged tears are more prone to infection.
- Repair Cracked Limbs: If you witness cracks in small branches, you can easily heal them by tying them firmly back together with electrical or grafting tape.
Final Thoughts: Get Winter Garden Maintenance in Dublin From Garden Direct and Tree Care
With winter coming in, we cannot tell you enough about how important it is to take care of your garden to preserve the health of your beloved plants and also the soil. Whether it’s through pruning, mulching, or employing protective coverings, you have to ensure that your garden is well-prepared and trust us, it can make a significant difference in how it withstands the colder months.
Don’t wait to witness your greens die in this harsh weather. Talk to gardeners in Dublin from Garden Direct and Tree Care and learn how you can protect your garden while preparing it for the winter months. From assessing your plants’ health to implementing effective strategies for frost protection, we’re here to support you every step of the way. Connect to get your FREE quotation today!
