Gardener’s Corner

Minnesota's harsh climate can cause severe damage to landscape plants. Winter sun, wind and cold temperatures can bleach and dry out evergreen foliage, damage bark, injure or kill branches, flower buds, and roots. Snow and ice can break branches and topple entire trees. Salt used for deicing streets, sidewalks and parking lots is harmful to landscape plants. Winter food shortages force rodents and deer to feed on bark, twigs, flower buds and leaves, injuring and sometimes killing trees and shrubs.

Here are steps you can take to protect trees and shrubs and minimize injury.

Cold damage

Causes of cold damage on plants include:

~Lack of plant hardiness and its inability to survive extreme cold. A majority of Minnesota is located in USDA cold hardiness zones 3 (-40 degrees F) and 4 (-30 degrees F).

~Extreme winter conditions such as ice storms, wind and prolonged sub-zero temperatures.

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