Hi there, can you tell me if there is anything I can do to keep my Rose Of Sharon bushes healthy through out the winter? Should I put pine needles around the base of all of them? Thanks for any help. I planted them 2 years ago and last year the rabbits ate then all right down to ground level. This year they managed to grow 2 feet tall and just 2 weeks ago they got flowers. moderator's note: added a more descriptive title to topic
I have a new ROS that I just planted last year I covered it with one of those pfoam plant protectors over winter and this spring/early summer the bunnies chewed mine up so I put a little fence made out of wire mesh around it and it is coming back up Do you have leaves? I would just put some leaves around it to protect it is it in a windy area? you may not have to do much of anything if it is in a protected area
A good layer of leaves/mulch and get some burlap from a fabric store to wrap around the trees as insulation from the cold. And hopefully they are in an area protected from wind. Bluewolf's idea of a wire mesh fence around the tree is good. When we had some rabbits in our neighborhood a few years ago I was buying chicken wire by the large rolls to keep them away from everything. I have also heard that giving plants a good watering just before a freeze will help prevent damage to the roots during the winter. They are frozen at a steady temp and won't get any colder as the temperature drops.
For the yard customers who have Rose of Sharon I do not put anything around them. However, these are all quite big in the base.
