Last winter the rabbits did a lot of damage to landscape plants. The only sure way to protect your landscape from hungry bunnies this winter is by fencing. Simple chicken wire fencing is easy to use and relatively cheap. Use a wire cutters to cut the length you need, place it around the plant and hook the cut wires into the openings on the other side and you’re done.
Last winter the snow got so deep that many people were forced to put another level of fencing above the first layer.
Plants like arborvitae, magnolia, burning bush, spirea, bridal wreath, ornamental plum, and Nanking cherry are especially susceptible to rabbits, but if they get hungry enough, they will sample anything. So if you have a plant that is valuable to you, it is best to fence it.
There are rabbit repellant sprays you can purchase, but neither the products nor the sprayers work as well in winter as in warmer weather, and really, do you want to be out there in the cold after every snowstorm re-spraying your plants?
Another important winter preparation is laying a 4-6 inch layer of winter mulch. Not all plants need this, but any perennial, tree or shrub facing its first winter should be mulched. This isn’t to protect them from cold temperatures, but rather from repeated freezing and thawing that will damage the roots or even heave the plants above the soil line. Mums, coral bells and many roses are especially susceptible to freeze/thaw damage and should be mulched every year.
But wait – don’t put the winter mulch down yet! Do it after the ground has frozen, typically around Thanksgiving. Otherwise you will make a nice little mulch nest for mice and other critters, complete with a snack bar. For the same reason, keep the mulch a short distance away from the plant stems.
An exception is strawberries, which should be entirely covered with mulch when temperatures are forecast to dip to 20º F.
Good materials for winter mulch are loose materials like pine needles and hay or straw. Wood chips and bark also work. Leaves are not good as they tend to clump together into a heavy mat from the weight of snow.
Remember to turn off the water supply to outside faucets, drain and put away hoses, and make notes of any ideas you have for next year’s garden.
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