Despite relatively mild winters in Atlanta and North Georgia, precaution is still needed to protect garden plants. Cold weather and winter protection of Atlanta garden plants begins even before planting, and continues through their entire seasonal life cycle. Below are some of the key points to keep in mind:
Plant selection--before purchasing plants, read plant labels and try to stick to plants with cold hardiness appropriate to the Atlanta region. North Georgia ranges from 6b to 7a, the Atlanta Metro area falling in the 7a & 7b ranges. Find your county on the cold hardiness map for Georgia.
Proper Nutrition--prepare soils and fertilize plants according to their specific needs. Be especially careful
when fertilizing in late fall early winter, because a flush of new growth will be susceptible to cold damage.
Plant placement--Windbreaks (e.g., walls, fences, screening plants) Shaded areas help protect plants from localized freezing. However, sunloving or plants labeled for full-sun will not develop well in shaded areas and be susceptible to cold damage.
Freeze precautions--Bring in container plants when freezing temperatures are immanent. Cluster large container plants. Cover tender garden plants with burlap when possible. Maintain good mulch depth (2-4") in garden beds.
Watering--Maintain proper watering needs going into freezing temperatures, plants have water needs even in cold weather. Pay attention to freeze reports to ensure automatic sprinklers don't coat plants with a potentially damaging coat ice.
Your plants will thank you all winter long for a little planning before planting, timing of maintenance items, and attention to weather reports.
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