Protecting Evergreens for the Winter

Evergreens, like yews and rhododendrons, may be susceptible to winter damage. Leaves and needles will appear browned and burned. Evergreens move moisture through their needles or leaves year-round. During icy winter months, evergreens are still able to absorb moisture; however, the process is very slow. On cold, sunny days, or days when the humidity is low and the wind is strong, evergreens may lose too much moisture. If this moisture cannot be replaced, the foliage will show signs of winter burn in the spring. One method to protect evergreens during the winter months involves a simple structure of wooden stakes and burlap around the plant to shield it from the wind and sun . 

Another common landscape problem in winter is limb injury to trees caused by heavy ice and snow.  When this happens, the best thing to do is to do nothing, i.e. just wait for temperatures to climb above freezing. If you try to shake the snow or ice from the tree or use a broom or stick to knock off the snow or ice, you risk doing more harm than good because frozen branches are brittle and break easily. Also, a moderate amount of snow is desirable as insulation from low temperatures.

To protect smaller plants from ice and snow, you could create a shelter such as a bucket or wooden triangle shield.  Large plants can be vertically pruned to reduce the amount of snow and ice they catch. Remove weak limbs likely to break to reduce stress on the entire tree.
Winter evergreens are not terribly fragile-- remember that native plants evolved under wintry conditions and can handle a regular snow load.

By Elaine Trainor, Pearl River Master Gardener