Preparation for Winter

• Shrubs should be watered regularly until the first hard freeze, as a healthy, hydrated shrub will be better able to survive the rigors of winter. Avoid fertilizing containerized shrubs after mid-summer, as feeding the plant will promote a flush of tender growth that will be susceptible to winter freezes. Growth of your shrub should be allowed to slow naturally as the plant prepares for a dormant period. Although evergreen shrubs will remain green, deciduous shrubs will drop their leaves in preparation for winter.
  
  

Winterizing Evergreen Shrubs

• To save evergreen shrubs from winter freezes, bury the plant, pot and all. Dig a hole near a building or another spot where the plant will be protected from harsh winds. Dig the hole deep enough to accommodate the container, then place the container in the hole. Fill the hole around the container with soil mixed with compost or a mulch such as chopped leaves or pine needles. Water the plant one final time. If weather becomes extremely harsh as winter progresses, wrap the top of the shrub in burlap. Alternatively, cover the plant with a pile of leaves held in place with chicken wire or large tree branches.
  
  

Winterizing Deciduous Shrubs

• Deciduous shrubs are winterized after the first hard freeze of the season. Lift the branches carefully and wrap them with a piece of twine to protect the branches from breakage. Place several inches of mulch such as leaves or straw on the soil. Surround the entire shrub and container with a piece of chicken wire, using small pieces of wire to connect the chicken wire in a cylindrical shape. Drive a wooden or metal stake into the ground next to the cylinder, then attach the cylinder to the stake to keep the cylinder securely in place. Fill the cylinder with leaves or straw, then wrap it with a large piece of burlap. Cover the entire thing with a large sheet of plastic and tie it securely.
  
  

Spring

• The winterizing procedure is reversed gradually beginning in early spring. Remove the plastic outer covering from the chicken wire cylinder, then reach in and pull out most of the mulch. When you're sure that winter has passed and hard freezes are over, remove the burlap and chicken wire cylinder. Evergreen shrubs can be removed from the soil at this time. Water the soil thoroughly, then tidy up the tree by pruning any damaged or broken branches.