Sensitive plants such as roses and young fruit trees need adequate protection against frost in winter. We explain how to put it on correctly.
Most garden plants have the advantage that they can withstand the weather well in both summer and winter. They are known as hardy. Other plants, on the other hand, do not tolerate cold or excessive moisture. They must therefore be protected separately. Above all, this includes:
- Young fruit trees
- rose plants
- ornamental trees
- Evergreen shrubs
- Deciduous dwarf shrubs
- palm trees
- rock garden plants
- ornamental grasses
- potted plants
- Herb and vegetable garden
In addition to the plants mentioned, others can also be equipped with additional winter protection, for example to protect them against heavy snowfall.
What options are there for winter protection?
The market offers a wide range of different accessories that can be used for winter protection. This includes sacks made of jute or burlap. Older sheets can also be used to cover some plants. As a supplement, hobby gardeners also use a special fleece that prevents the cold from getting to the plants, or wrap them with thin mats made of coconut fibers.
In addition, nature also offers suitable material to protect the plants effectively. This includes, for example, fir branches and dry leaves that were swept up in autumn.
Prepare garden plants for winter
In the list below you will find tips and advice on how to winterize your plants in the garden:
| Plant | Description |
| Woods | should be protected against excessive snowfall To do this, loosely tie the branches together with a cord ideal for thujas, columnar junipers or yews If the wood is too close to the house wall, it will ideally protected from falling roof avalanches with a tent-like slatted frame |
| Tree roses | especially protect the crown of the plants where the grafting point is Wrap it with a fleece or put a jute sack over it additionally shade with fir twigs at the roots |
| young fruit trees / ornamental trees | Due to their thin bark, they are particularly susceptible to bright winter sun Frost cracks in the bark can be prevented with a lime paint, as this reflects the sun’s rays Ornamental trees can be wrapped around the trunk with jute strips or a cane mat |
| evergreen shrubs | for example camellias, Mediterranean viburnum or copper loquat they suffer from exposure to sunlight or drought damage these show up with a brownish color in the shoot tips If possible, cover the root area up to 30 centimeters with mulch to protect them from frost |
| deciduous dwarf shrubs | Lavender, rock rose, beard flower sensitive to winter wetness Create good conditions at the planting stage using sandy and permeable soil Cover with fir branches in winter apply an additional layer of mulch to the roots |
| Palm trees | very sensitive to moisture Tie up the leaves and protect them with a pad of straw cover the top with foil In case of severe frost, cover the roots thickly with mulch and wrap the trunk with fleece or cane mats |
| Rock garden plants | are sensitive to frost cover with plastic fleece Protect individual plants with fir twigs or a layer of leaves |
| Ornamental grasses | sensitive to moisture dried up leaf tufts are tied together with the leaf tips cover with leaves to protect them from rain additionally stabilize with fir branches |
| Potted plants | are usually overwintered in the basement or conservatory if this is not possible, the pot is placed in a large wooden box this is filled around ten centimeters high with bark mulch the rest is filled with leaves the best place to keep them is on a house wall, where they are protected from precipitation or strong winds |
| Herb garden / vegetable garden | Cover sensitive species such as rosemary with brushwood or put over an old wicker basket cut back the shoot tips of sage when growing chard or kale, it is worth laying out a layer of mulch optionally a mixture of leaves and compost is also possible |
Protective measures for garden pond plants
The plants in the garden pond should also be given adequate protection. Ideally, they are cut back in autumn, which applies to both the plants on the edge and those that are more in the middle of the pond.
In order to provide the plants with further protection, you should also ensure that any digested sludge is removed. A so-called ice preventer provides enough oxygen, which not only helps the fish to overwinter, but also to the plants.
