I found snow to be an excellent insulator in Maine. It also protected trees from wind.

Yeah, I'll bet it is.... in Maine! But in the 10+ years I lived on Long Island, we never had a snowcover... we barely had snow! And now in Maryland, I have only a passing acquaintance with snow (particularly this week!). It makes it very difficult to ke
ep trees from suffering spring die-back. In fact, on Long Island, most of the nursery problems we saw in the lab in early spring were related to early warm periods or late freezes. When nursery owners protected their plants in plastic houses, the problem
s were, if anything, worse.

This is exactly why I keep mine outdoors. That way nothing artificially raises the temperature in their environment.

I used to keep tender plants in the cold frame, but just plain gave up. Now I mulch tender plants and protect them from wind, and otherwise tell them "see ya in spring, pal."

Nina Shishkoff


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