There’s nothing like a few potted plants to make your patios, decks and porches come alive. Unfortunately, this type of vegetation is also susceptible to extremes of weather than those planted in the ground.
You can protect smaller potted plants by bringing them indoors when the temperatures start to dip. But for potted deciduous trees, you’ll need to winterize them just after the tree has lost most of its leaves. In Austin, this usually happens around the end of November/early December.
Prep the tree and pot
Tie the branches of your potted tree together gently with some twine or other light but sturdy cord. Water the tree thoroughly and then cover the top of the soil with 2 to 3 inches of mulch, straw or leaves.
Make a chicken wire “tree cage”
Take enough chicken wire to build a cylinder around the prepped potted tree. The structure should be tall enough to cover the entire tree without crowding the branches. Secure the cylinder with zip ties or wire. Then stuff the cage from top to bottom with straw or leaves.
Wrap everything up
Wrap the cage with burlap sacking to prevent the stuffing from falling out of the cage. Then secure the burlap to the cage with twine or cord. When finished, cover the top of the cage with a plastic bag. You can unwrap your tree-cage as soon as spring arrives and reuse the mulch/leaves/straw around your garden.
Tending trees and plants of any kind is a job that never ends. That’s why South Austin Irrigation is here: to help you maintain your lawn and garden no matter the season. We offer irrigation system inspection and repair services.
For the service more Austinites trust, contact us today!
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