Winter is here and temperatures have dropped in most of the country. If you have vulnerable outdoor plants, you will want to protect them from the cold. When we visited my in-laws in upstate New York I noticed that their azaleas and hydrangea plants were covered in leaves. Using leaves is an inexpensive way to insulate the plants through the winter.
There are several ways to use leaves for insulation. For bigger plants or bushes, my father-in-law put together A-frames out of wood.The A-frames can be very basic – just drill some holes in scrap wood and tie together with zip-ties. Place the A-frame over the plant. Pile leaves up under the a-frame on top of the plant or bush. Plastic netting is used to keep the leaves in place by wrapping it around the a-frame.
Another option is to use the plastic netting to make a ring around the plant. Simply place the leaves inside the ring. Pile on extra leaves and pack down slightly.
Lastly, he used the plastic netting to make an envelope around some of the plants. Use zip-ties to close up the netting to keep the leaves in place.
In the spring, all you need to do is remove the zip-ties and netting. Hopefully the leaves will prevent the plants from completely dying off. My in-laws said that when they did this last year, most of the plants survived. Last year was extremely cold with the polar vortex too!
Make sure to checkout all of our gardening tips!
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