There is an opinion among gardeners that conifers do not require preparation for winter, as they have innate winter hardiness. But this is not entirely true.
The most serious problem for conifers is sunburn from the warm spring sun, but there are other dangers.
To avoid them, it is necessary to start preparing in the autumn months.
An expert of the online publication "BelNovosti", agronomist and landscape designer Anastasia Kovrizhnykh emphasizes: coniferous plants are prepared for the onset of winter in several stages.
Each point should be approached responsibly so that the plants can safely survive the winter.
Fertilization
In autumn, plants require phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. It is necessary to apply fertilizers strictly following the instructions. Phosphorus accelerates the development of plant roots, and potassium allows shoots to lignify faster.
It is important to understand that there should be no nitrogen in fertilizers, because this element stimulates the growth of new (non-woody) shoots, which can die in the cold winter.
Treatment of plantings from diseases
Coniferous plants are in dire need of treatment against bacterial and fungal diseases. Usually, gardeners carry out preventive procedures in October, when relatively warm and windless weather has set in outside. Plants should be treated with copper-containing preparations.
It is not recommended to use copper sulfate, as it can cause burning of the needles.
Moisture-charging irrigation
Towards the end of autumn, all coniferous plants need to be thoroughly watered. An adult tree requires 55 to 75 liters of water, young trees - 30-35 liters. They especially need this watering.
Why do moisture-charging irrigation? The needles of these plants do not stop air and moisture exchange even in winter.
Quite often it happens that the roots cannot get enough moisture from the already frozen ground. This leads to burning of the needles. If the soil is pre-moistened, the risk of such injuries will be significantly reduced.
Protection from burns
All coniferous trees without exception suffer from excess sunlight. Therefore, they need to be artificially protected from possible burns. For this purpose, coniferous trees are usually covered with burlap for the winter, which barely lets in sunlight.
The material used to cover the trees must be breathable. Spunbond and similar covering materials should not be used, as they all accumulate heat very well.
There is another less popular, but quite effective method, = how to protect coniferous plants from burns - the use of special preparations that reduce the susceptibility of plantings to sunlight. Most often, the preparations Pursheid and Purshat-O are used to block sunlight. It is enough to carry out two treatments (at the beginning and at the end of autumn) at an air temperature of at least zero degrees Celsius.
Crown binding
This procedure is useful for those conifers that suffer from strong winds, as well as in winter, when there is too much snow on the branches. But do not tie the branches too tightly, otherwise they can be damaged.
During the winter period, it is necessary to regularly shake snow off the branches of coniferous trees.
Expert: Anastasia Kovrizhnykh
