Winter Concerns: Three Key Tasks at the Cottage During Thaw 0 11

Answers are provided by agronomist Elena Gorbunova:

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

After you have taken care of the snow cover, dig drainage ditches from the trees and berry bushes, as well as from other places where winter-covered plants are located. However, do not dig too deep, as this is not necessary. The thaw will inevitably lead to the formation of meltwater, and its excess needs to be drained to prevent the formation of excess ice crust when the frost returns.

If a prolonged thaw (more than three days) is expected, it would be beneficial to ventilate the covered strawberries, roses, coniferous trees, 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, something we would like to avoid. Brief ventilation is highly likely to help prevent such troubles.

If, by chance — although this is currently unlikely — 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 will help avoid premature sap flow and sunburn. However, if the thaw occurs under cloudy weather conditions, this measure can be omitted.