How to Protect Your Colorado Landscape from Spring Freeze
In Colorado, the weather can be unpredictable. One day you may be enjoying a sunny 70-degree day and the next it’s snowing and below freezing. This can cause damage to your landscape if you don’t take proper preventive measures. Let’s look at what you can do to protect your landscape from the classic spring freeze this year.
The best way to protect your landscape from spring freeze is to prepare in advance. In late fall or early winter, start using mulch around trees and shrubs in order to insulate them against extreme temperatures. Mulch helps keep moisture in the soil, which helps plants withstand cold weather better than dry soil would. Additionally, make sure that when applying mulch you leave some space around the base of trees and shrubs so that rodents looking for shelter from the cold cannot get too close to them.
Another preventative measure is to prune or trim trees and shrubs prior to winter weather setting in. Pruning will help reduce wind damage caused by heavy snowfall because it removes weak limbs and branches that are more prone to breaking off during a storm. Make sure not to prune too much; removing too many leaves and branches could stress trees and make them more susceptible to cold temperatures.
If you have larger plants such as bushes or hedges, consider covering them with burlap sheets or other protective coverings during a freeze warning. Covering plants will help keep them warm throughout a cold snap, reducing their risk of damage due to extreme temperatures. If possible, try not to use plastic as a cover – it can hold in heat too much and cause further damage rather than protecting against it.
Snowstorms and freezing temperatures are an unavoidable part of life here in Colorado but they don’t have to be devastating for your landscape if you take preventative measures ahead of time. Use mulch around trees and smaller plants, prune back branches before winter sets in, and cover large plants with burlap or another protective material during forecasted freezes for maximum protection against spring freeze this year!
