The vagaries of the weather harm trees, shrubs and other garden plants not only in winter. Spring is considered one of the dangerous periods. How to take care of plants in the off-season?
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Spring is insidious with changeable weather, sharp temperature drops, dangerous bright sun. Even plants that are resistant to the vagaries of the weather can get damaged in the spring. But gardeners have learned to help their green friends withstand spring attacks. How to protect plants from spring troubles, we will tell you in our article.
In the period between winter and spring, the so-called pre-spring, when winter is almost over, but warm spring days are still does not happen, and the temperature is kept in the range from 0 to 5 degrees, the plants begin to wake up from the long winter sleep. It is at this time that the plants become vulnerable and require additional protection.
What 5 dangers await plants in the offseason
There are 5 dangers that plants look after in spring, and it is worth talking about each of them in more detail.
Frost and sun
In the pre-spring period, both a sharp thaw and sudden frosts cause damage to plants. Sharp fluctuations in temperature during the day - during the day it is warm in the sun and everything melts, and frosts hit at night.
The bark of trees expands during the day in warm temperatures, and at night, when frost strikes, it can crack. Frost holes are formed, which seriously damage the health of the tree. When cracks appear, it is necessary to wrap the tree trunk with covering material as soon as possible, and as soon as warm days come, start treatment:
- With a sharp knife, the damaged bark is cleaned off and smeared with a solution of copper sulfate.
- Then they are treated with pitch or a mixture of clay, ash and cow dung.
- Next, they are wrapped in cellophane, burlap or other suitable covering material.
Also, a good protection against damage to the bark during this period will be the shelter of the trunk from the south side. plywood or straw so that during sunny days the bark does not heat up and the tree does not wake up earlier time.
Physiological droughts
Evergreen conifers are usually more susceptible to physiological drought. What is it?.
This is the moment when the roots of the plant do not absorb moisture from the ground, although it is there. And the frozen soil leads to this state. The roots stop working fully, and the trees look dried up: the needles turn brown and crumble.
To avoid this condition, it is necessary to water the tree abundantly before the onset of winter. During the winter, you also need to water the plants a little, but only on warm days, when the temperature is above 0 degrees.
Ice and snow
Due to wet snow, tree branches can break, and as a result of its melting, flooding occurs. Frozen soil is not able to quickly absorb water from melted snow, and trees are often in the water, which is very unsafe for them.
In addition to trees, other plants, including lawn grass, are severely affected by melting snow and ice. The ice crust obstructs air access, and this can kill the grass. In order to avoid these problems, it is recommended to break the ice crust, giving the plants a flow of air.
Wind
Another problem for plants is cold winds. It enhances the effects of cold air. This can be avoided by planting especially sensitive plants in places protected from the wind and installing special shelters.
Salt
Salt is often used to sprinkle on paths and slippery areas in winter. This is a great invention to help you avoid injury. But at the same time, salt causes significant harm to the environment. Salt gets into the soil and thus makes it unsuitable for plants.
Try to use other anti-slip agents instead of salt - fine gravel, sand, etc.
In order to protect the plants in the spring, it is important to keep a close eye on the current situation. Cover the plants in a timely manner in case of possible frost. During a thaw, do not wake up early. It is very important to find a middle ground in confronting the whims of nature, and then you can successfully protect your plants.
Do you know what dangers await plants in spring?
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