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How to Protect Your Plants This Winter
Dec
Your Winter Prep Guide from Cropley’s Garden Center, Bolton, CT
As winter settles in across Connecticut, now is the ideal time to protect your perennials, roses, shrubs, and evergreens from the stress of freezing temperatures, biting winds, and fluctuating weather. With a little preparation, you can ensure your landscape comes back strong, healthy, and beautiful in the spring. At Cropley’s Garden Center, we have all the supplies you need, including mulch, soil, compost, burlap, and winter wraps, to help your garden thrive through the cold.
1. Mulch Your Perennials for Winter Protection
One of the easiest and most effective overwintering steps is adding a thick layer of high-quality mulch around your perennials.
Mulch helps by:
• Insulating roots
• Preventing frost heaving
• Conserving moisture during dry winter winds
• Protecting plant crowns
A layer of 3–4 inches is typically ideal.
👉 Visit Cropley’s for premium mulch and soil blends perfect for winterizing beds.
2. Give Roses the Extra Care They Need
Roses benefit from a little extra attention before winter arrives:
• Cut back long or unruly canes
• Mound soil or compost 8–10 inches around the base
• Add a layer of mulch over the mound
• Use burlap wraps or protective cones in exposed or windy areas
👉 Cropley’s carries burlap sheets, rose cones, compost, and soil to help protect your roses.
3. Protect Shrubs and Evergreens from Winter Burn
Broadleaf evergreens and tender shrubs can experience winter burn when strong winds pull moisture from their leaves.
Protect them by:
• Applying anti-desiccant spray before deep freeze
• Watering thoroughly until the ground freezes
• Creating burlap wind screens around vulnerable shrubs
• Mulching the root area while keeping mulch away from the trunk
Loose burlap wraps also prevent snow and ice damage on upright evergreens.
4. Safeguard Potted Trees and Shrubs
If you grow shrubs or small trees in containers, they need additional protection:
• Move containers to a garage, shed, or porch
• Or bury the pot in the ground and mulch heavily around it
This keeps roots from being exposed to extreme cold.
5. Avoid Late-Season Fertilizing
Skip fertilizing until spring. Plants should be slowing into dormancy, not pushing new growth that will freeze.
6. Deep Water Before the Ground Freezes
Moist soil protects roots more effectively than dry soil. Give shrubs and evergreens a deep drink before the first long freeze.
Everything You Need for Overwintering Is at Cropley’s
At Cropley’s Garden Center, we carry all the essential supplies to help your plants make it through winter:
• Mulch, compost, and topsoil
• Burlap sheets and wraps
• Stakes and ties
• Anti-desiccant sprays
• Rose cones and protective covers
• Winter greens and seasonal décor
Our knowledgeable team is always here to help you prepare your garden for the cold months ahead.
Cropley’s Garden Center
📍 1262 Boston Turnpike, Bolton, CT 06043
📞 (860) 649-6364
Overwinter with confidence — Cropley’s has you covered.