Expert Identified Three Key Tasks for the Summer House During the Thaw 0 42

Agronomist Elena Gorbunova shares her recommendations:

— First of all, assess the level of snow cover. If it is insufficient, especially in the root zones of fruit trees, on covered beds with strawberries, roses, clematis, and other plants, it is worth replenishing the deficiency. I remind you that the optimal thickness of the snow layer is 80 centimeters, but 30 centimeters will also be acceptable: this is the minimum level in case your region experiences snow issues. When adding snow to the specified areas, lightly press it down with a shovel, but do not compact it too much, especially if a short thaw is expected. Otherwise, you will end up with a dense snowdrift with poor air permeability, which is highly undesirable.

After you take care of the snow cover, dig drainage ditches away from trees and berry bushes, as well as from other places where winter-covered plants are located. However, do not dig too deep; this is unnecessary. The thaw will inevitably lead to the formation of meltwater, and its excess must be diverted in such a way that no extra ice crust forms after the return of frost.

If a prolonged thaw (more than three days) is expected, it would be beneficial to ventilate the covered strawberries, roses, conifers, and so on at least once during this time. The thing is that the rise in temperature can lead to the formation of condensation, which, in turn, almost inevitably causes rotting, which is very undesirable. Brief ventilation is highly likely to help avoid such troubles.

If, by any chance — although this is unlikely now — the thaw is accompanied by sunny weather, it would be helpful to temporarily wrap the trunks of fruit trees with white non-woven material. This is necessary to avoid provoking premature sap flow and to prevent sunburn. However, if the thaw occurs under cloudy weather conditions, this may not be necessary.