What to Know About Watering Trees and Plants in the Winter
Keeping your landscape trees and perennials beautiful means giving them the right amount of water all year. Many people think that watering your landscape is something that stops once the leaves begin to fall. In some years, like this one, Colorado Springs does not get sufficient rainfall or snow to provide enough water for your plants. Here are some tips for watering your winter plants properly so that they will provide abundance and beauty during the growing season.
When to Stop Watering
You should continue to monitor your plants throughout the fall right up until the ground freezes. This does not mean you should stop once you get the first hard frost, but the ground itself should be frozen. This is an important step to preventing winter kill, which is especially important for new plantings.
If you have evergreens, it is important not to forget about them. While they are hardy and still retain their green throughout the winter, they also continue to lose water to the air all year long through their leaves. If you notice the foliage turning yellow or brown, a good watering might fix the problem. You should make sure to keep them watered throughout the entire season. Here are some other trees that might need a little extra watering attention during the winter months:
Maple trees
Dogwoods
Willows
Arborvitae
Paper birches
Boxwood
Euonymus
Water Is an Insulator
One reason to make sure your trees and plants are properly watered during the winter is that water acts as an insulator. This makes them less susceptible to damage from the cold. Newly planted trees require more water and protection than established ones. Plants that have deep roots are less susceptible to cold damage, but you should still give them a thorough watering.
How Often to Water
Experts recommend that you do not water unless the temperature is above 40 degrees and there is no snow or ice on the ground. One important tip is to water early during the day so that the plants have time to absorb it before the temperatures begin to fall at night.
When temperatures are favorable, experts usually recommend watering larger plants one or two times a month during the winter, unless there is plenty of snow during the month. You should do a long, slow watering and make sure that the water penetrates at least 12 inches below the soil. Adding a layer of mulch around your trees and plants about one inch from the main branch or stem will help them retain water and offer some additional winter protection.
Foothills Landscaping is a locally owned landscaping business that has been serving the area since 1997. We provide many services to the Colorado Springs area, including sprinkler installation and repair, fences, retaining walls, and sod installation. Contact us for expert landscape design services and give your home or business the curb appeal that it deserves.