Evergreens Really Need Water Before Winter!
The gardening season isn’t over while there’s still watering to do, according to Sharon Yiesla, Plant Clinic assistant at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL.
Going into winter with dry roots can cause trouble for plants in spring. If the roots are damaged because they dried out in fall, they can’t absorb water in spring. Water stored in their roots supports early spring growth. If the reservoir is low, they can start out the year stressed by drought and never get over it.
If you water nothing else, water evergreens and any trees and shrubs that were planted this year or last year.
Newly planted trees haven’t had time to grow a large system of roots to absorb and store water, so they need frequent watering to make up for it.
Evergreens need stored-up water to make up for what they lose through their leaves, especially in the cold, dry air of winter. “People don’t realize that water is leaving those needles all winter long,” Yiesla said. When evergreens don’t absorb a sufficient water supply in fall, their needles can dry out, turn brown and die.
