In winter, gardens no longer delight the eyes with lots of colors, but they can still look fabulous. It’s all because of the snow. The white fluff covering thujas, bushes and other plants looks beautiful, but we should remember a few things. Otherwise, the thujas may not survive the winter.
Heavy snow, especially after the thaw, may lie on the branches and lead to them breaking. This is especially dangerous for younger thujas with delicate shoots, but even older specimens can remain deformed by thick snow cover.
Breakage and deformation of the twigs cause the thuja to lose its characteristic shape. But Removing snow without caution is not the best idea, as you may accidentally deprive the plant of its natural thermal insulation. So how to do it so as not to harm the trees?
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Snow does not always pose a threat to plants. In some situations, there is no need to remove it. If the rainfall was light, you do not need to shake it off – a small amount will not burden the thuja twigs, on the contrary: it will create an additional protective layer against frost.
Moreover, it is better to refrain from removing snow if it is frozen – then it is easy to mechanically damage the bark and break the shoots. It is best to remove snow after heavy rainfall, but before it thaws and before it becomes heavier. Otherwise, sudden cooling may cause the heavy, damp cover to freeze on the branches.
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First of all, remember to remove snow from thujas while it is still loose. Use your hand or a soft broom to do this – avoid metal tools. Be especially careful with younger trees. Take your time so as not to break the frozen shoots.
It is very important to start shaking from the top and slowly move down. In reverse order, falling snow could put a lot of strain on the lower branches. Moreover, this procedure is best carried out on days when frost is not too severe – at very low temperatures the twigs become brittle, which makes them more susceptible to breaking during cleaning.
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Apart from thujas, it is a good idea to remove snow from evergreen shrubs. It should also not lie on the twigs of young trees, as it may break or deform them. It is a good idea to shake it off plants with dense crowns, e.g. spruces.
Ornamental shrubs with limp shoots also do not cope well with the white cover among others bouquet hydrangeas. Such plants quickly deform under the influence of weight and it will be difficult for them to regain their previous shape later.
