So far, the end of January has been exceptionally warm, and I am loving it! The inevitable result is that all of the plants are emerging much earlier than usual. I was comparing pictures from late February of last year and this week, and the plants are at just about the same place now, one month earlier. Crazy!
Every winter I cover all of my beds in a 2 foot thick layer of leaves and burlap to protect them from winter chill. I'm not sure how effective it is because I still lose about 20% - 30% of my plants each year. I don't know if the ones that survive would have anyway, or if I am actually protecting them. Either way, once they begin to emerge in the spring, having a thick coat of soggy, partially decomposed leaves sitting on top of their crowns is a surefire way to smother them to death. There have been times where I took the leaves off too late only to find a rotted lump where the baby leaves had begun to emerge.
This year, especially in light of the earlier emergence, I removed the leaves about 5 weeks earlier than usual. By doing so however, I am putting the baby plants at risk for freezing when the inevitable frost comes in February. My actuary husband and I had a discussion of risk assessment regarding this topic (no one can be surprised about this). If a frost is forecasted, my plan is to cover the vulnerable beds (there are only a couple) with tarps and burlap and hope for the best.
As I removed the layer of leaves yesterday, it was both sad and exciting to see what exactly had survived and what had not. Winter is kind of like a cage fight and it is always exciting to see who emerges victorious. Of course, it is still a little early for some plants to come out of dormancy and those that look dead may just be resting a little longer (fingers crossed). I hate having to replace so many plants each spring, especially since I only buy hardy plants to begin with. They shou
ld be tough dammit! Admittedly I do love plant shopping, so I suppose it is a win-win situation either way. Still though, for me to give so much thought and care to ensuring that my plants survive the winter, its a bit of a kick in the balls when they don't. The local garden centers are eagerly rubbing their hands together in anticipation of the cash I will drop (a la Snidley Whiplash). In the mean time, I am just happy about the plants that ARE starting to emerge. Enjoy the pics!
Every winter I cover all of my beds in a 2 foot thick layer of leaves and burlap to protect them from winter chill. I'm not sure how effective it is because I still lose about 20% - 30% of my plants each year. I don't know if the ones that survive would have anyway, or if I am actually protecting them. Either way, once they begin to emerge in the spring, having a thick coat of soggy, partially decomposed leaves sitting on top of their crowns is a surefire way to smother them to death. There have been times where I took the leaves off too late only to find a rotted lump where the baby leaves had begun to emerge.
This year, especially in light of the earlier emergence, I removed the leaves about 5 weeks earlier than usual. By doing so however, I am putting the baby plants at risk for freezing when the inevitable frost comes in February. My actuary husband and I had a discussion of risk assessment regarding this topic (no one can be surprised about this). If a frost is forecasted, my plan is to cover the vulnerable beds (there are only a couple) with tarps and burlap and hope for the best.
As I removed the layer of leaves yesterday, it was both sad and exciting to see what exactly had survived and what had not. Winter is kind of like a cage fight and it is always exciting to see who emerges victorious. Of course, it is still a little early for some plants to come out of dormancy and those that look dead may just be resting a little longer (fingers crossed). I hate having to replace so many plants each spring, especially since I only buy hardy plants to begin with. They shou
ld be tough dammit! Admittedly I do love plant shopping, so I suppose it is a win-win situation either way. Still though, for me to give so much thought and care to ensuring that my plants survive the winter, its a bit of a kick in the balls when they don't. The local garden centers are eagerly rubbing their hands together in anticipation of the cash I will drop (a la Snidley Whiplash). In the mean time, I am just happy about the plants that ARE starting to emerge. Enjoy the pics!
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