The weather’s wonderful, but DRY! All this sun and wind, and no rain or snow, is stressful to our plants, so don’t forget to give your plants some water. This is especially true for new plantings, evergreens, and roses and most any plant that was planted in September or October. These plants are especially vulnerable and are more likely to suffer or die from dehydration than from cold.
Evergreens continue to transpire (give off water) during the winter because they have leaves or needles. If these plants cannot take up water, they will dehydrate and suffer, not showing injury until it’s too late. And roses, with their green-skinned canes, are far more likely to perish in winter from dehydration than from cold temperatures.
If the ground isn’t frozen and the temperature is above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, give your garden a thorough watering when there’s been less than 2″ of natural precipitation in the previous 4 weeks. Water in late morning or early afternoon so that the water has time to sink in before it freezes.