Protect Your Plants - Prevent frost and winter damage

Protect Your Plants - Prevent frost and winter damage

Fall is the best time to get out and prepare your plants for frost and cold weather. When plants are properly protected it will prevent root and foliage damage. Cold weather plant protection takes a little pre-planning and some equipment in harsher zones. Fall maintenance should include a plan for winter protection for plants and winter plant covers.

NuVue solutions

NuVue offers a complete line of plant protection products to ensure your plants and trees survive even in extreme cold conditions. The complete line includes insulated wraps, tree coats, rose collars and frost and winter covers. All NuVue’s winter protection products are designed to be easily set up and fold down for storage in the warmer months.

Unlike conventional covers, NuVue covers are designed to keep out frost and cold while letting in sunlight, allowing your plants to survive the long winter months.

Adding mulch helps!

Mulch is an easy and natural way to protect plants from harsh winter weather. Common damage to plants is the freeze-and-thaw cycle. The constant freeze, thaw and re-freeze can cause the soil to heave. Plants that have a shallow root system like heucherella and gaillardia can have their roots pushed out of the ground.


We recommend applying three to five inches of mulch around plants. By doing this you will maintain a more constant soil temperature and protect root systems from the extreme cold. Another advantage of mulch is it helps maintain soil moisture, which also has an insulation effect.


Winter watering tip…

Plants go into a dormant cycle during the winter; that being said, it is still a good idea to water once a month during cold, dry weather. Evergreen trees and shrubs can easily dry out on windy days if there is not sufficient rainfall.

Many plants will actively continue to grow roots even when the plants’ canopy is dormant. The other advantage of winter watering is that it will help maintain a more constant soil temperature and provide an extra layer of protection to your plants’ root system.


It is recommended to monitor weather systems and water at least 24 hours before hard freezing occurs.


Protect sensitive trees

To prevent damage to young trees or trees that have a smooth bark, we recommend using a tree wrap in late fall to protect from sunscald caused by constant freeze-and-thaw.

We also recommend wrapping evergreen trees with burlap or synthetic burlap material to help protect foliage from drying out on cold, windy days. The wrap will also protect the tree from winds.


Newly-planted trees may also require stabilization by using a stake system to provide extra support. Staking will prevent harsh winter winds from upheaving the root ball.


Container plants in winter

Many container plants are not able to survive the winter without proper protection. The main reason for this is the depth of soil in the container. Plants directly planted into the ground will maintain a temperature of 35–45F.

To determine protection level for a container plant, look at its hardiness rating.

When possible it is recommended to move container plants to a sheltered location where they can be protected from cold and wind. In some cases simply covering them during cold nights will provide enough protection to survive.

Click here to see NuVue’s complete line of winter protection products.