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Come spring, gardeners might discover that their evergreens and needled plants have brown, dry patches. This is known as winter burn, or desiccation, and is caused by a combination of things including: freezing temperatures, low soil moisture, and blowing winds. The good news is with most cases, and with a little care, your trees and shrubs will bounce back from the winter burn and be as good as new. If you think your plants have winter burn, or any other issue, send a picture to our team of diagnostics team using this form, they will get back to you ASAP and help you figure out how to treat it.

Here  are a few tips and tricks to help you treat winter burn and avoid the hassle of replacing the plants. 

1. Look for Green

If new foliage hasn’t started growing by spring, gently scratch the bark on affected branches and look for a green color underneath. When it’s green, the branch should heal on its own with a bit of time (and fertilizer).  If the color under that gentle scratch is brown, then it is time to prune! After a few growing seasons, the tree or shrub will fill in the areas that you’ve had to cut away. If the tree is completely brown, recovery is unlikely and in that case, you will need to replace it. 

2. Prune 

Winter burn starts with the tips of needles turning brown and, eventually, full needles on a whole section of the tree are brown and dry. Prune away the brown, dead, and dying needles/branches once new foliage has started to grow on the tree or shrub because premature pruning could worsen the desiccation. New foliage will often push out the dead tissue and you won't need to do much pruning. 

3. Prevent Winter Burn

The best way to treat winter burn is to avoid it completely. There are a few steps you can take to prevent it. 

• Be sure to water throughout the year as needed.  Newer plants will need more supplemental water, but even established plants will need water to help keep the needles hydrated, including over the winter months if there isn't significant snowfall. 
• Don’t do any late season pruning as it encourages new growth.  Prune in spring after the plant has sent out some new growth already. 
• Assist the water retention in the needles by applying Wilt-Pruf to reduce cold weather and wind related desiccation.

Gardening and maintaining your landscape is always a learning process and we want to help you every step of the way. The team at Glover Nursery are always happy to answer any of your questions.  Don't forget that you can send pictures of your plants in to our diagnostic team for assistance.  Stop by or give us a call, we are here to help. 

Other useful links and resources:

How To Winterize Your Fountain

Best Plants for Your Winter Garden

Spring is here.  It is time to care for your ornamental grasses.

Winter Care:

It is best to leave ornamental grasses standing through winter to add interest to the landscape. Grasses in your garden also provide forage for birds and help protect plant crowns against harsh winter weather.

Spring Care:

As new growth begins in early spring, it is an ideal time to groom warm and cool season grasses. Wear gloves and long sleeves as blades can be sharp and inflict wounds similar to but often worse than paper cuts. Begin by tying the dead foliage of large clumps together for easy clean up. For smaller grasses, cut the foliage off so that least 2 to 3 inches remain. For larger grasses, leave 4 to 5 inches remaining.

Divide larger clumps

• Divide larger clumps in early spring before the plant starts to put on much new growth.
• Using a shovel/spade,  split off healthy-looking clumps about an inch or two from the plant. When done, lift out the smaller clump, roots and all. Plant grasses in desired location as soon as possible.
• Older clumps that have died out in the center of their crown are often perfect for dividing, but remember to do so after trimming.

Evergreen Grasses:

• Evergreen and semi-evergreen grasses should not be sheared. Groom these grasses wearing rubber gloves.
• Gently run your fingers through clumps to comb out dead blades.
• If your evergreen grass still looks shabby, trim blades by no more the two thirds.
• This will encourage new growth. It may take several months to outgrow this treatment.

For more two excellent articles on trimming ornamental grasses, check out:

• Better Homes & Gardens article on Ornamental Grass Care
• Northcoast Gardening

Other useful links and resources:

Get Ready for Spring: March Gardening Tips

Creative Gardening Pairings from Monrovia