Evening star., 1946-11-10

The expert gardener knows that
certain plants need protection II
they are to come through the winter
healthy and vigorous. Cold infre-
ouently causes winter injury In this
area but freezing and thawing breaks
the plants roots and pushes the
crowns out Of the soil. Too much
moisture may cause rot to set in; or
winter winds may dry out the canes.
Evergreens oftentimes need pro-
lection from both the wind and the
sun.
Newly planted evergreens need
protection from both the sun and
the wind which sap moisture from
the leaves faster than 1t can be sup
piled by the roots. Tender ever
greens, such as lockwood and the
oregon hollygrape, can be seriously
burned by winter sun. Three stakes
driven firmly into the ground to
which burlap may be tackled Is an
effective protection. Newly planted
evergreens should be heavily mulched
to keep the ground from freezing.
Frozen ground stops the roots from
functioning-that is, supplying mois-
ture to the leaves. 1t is desirable to
keep the soil about newly planted
evergreens well watered.
Avoid Soaking Perennials.
Perennials and dormant bulbs can
not Withstand soggy, water-soaked
soils. II necessary, bitches should
be provided to carry surfact mois-
ture away. The next best alterna-
tive is to raise the beds by covering
them with an, inch or so OF soil; or
area over each crown may be raised
with a shovelful or two of dirt.
Peonies are especially subject to
crown rot, and standing water may
kill lawn grasses.
Newly planted trees and tall
shrubs should be anchored to keep
them from swaying in strong winds.
Swaying prevents the roots from
developing and taking hold. Also,
tree swaying In the wind tends
to open q small cuplike depression
at the surface of the ground. II
water gathers in the cup and freezes,
the ice may cut the bark. II 1t
does not kill the tree it will seriously
affect sap circulation in the spring
Rose growers oftentimes mound
their roses to prevent this type OF
injury. Mounding, however, is not
sufficient for trees and tall shrubs
They should be anchored to stakes
or stout post.
Sun Can Cause Injury.
Winter sun is oftentimes very in
furious to rosebushes and many OF
the shrubby perennials in the rock
garden. Injury is usually blamed
on cold but in most cases it Is a
combina ton of sun and wind. The
best protection for plants subject
to such injury is covering OF pine
boughs or, If available, the new
glass wool. This breaks the sun
light and wind but let's air through
1t also keeps the ground frozen
and avoids injurious freezing and
thawing.
In the spring this sort Of protec-
ton, If left on as long as possible
tends to retard early growth. I'm
protected plants oftentimes start
into growth with the first warm
spell only to be badly injured by a
late cold snap. This happened last
spring, as many rose growers can
testify.
Another type Of protection,
mulching, is commonly employed to
keep the soil from freezing. How
ever, the strawberry grower likes
to put on a mulch after the ground
is frozen so as to keep it frozen.
The purpose is to prevent the alter
nate freezing and thawing which
so often breaks the roots Of the
plants and pushes the crowns out
of the ground. This is commonly
called heaving. The same practice
may well be used on new paintings
of perennials but it should not be
used until after the ground has
frozen. IF applied earlier 1t will