You may be surprised that the next few weeks will be a critical period for watering your landscape. Thorough soaking before the ground freezes will help your trees and shrubs thrive and may protect them from winter damage or even death.

Wind in winter destroys woody plants just like drought in summer. Once the dry winter monsoon begins, the plants are "freeze-dried", suffer winter burns and may die from thirst.

Deciduous plants (plants that lose their leaves in winter) can survive the winter wind better than evergreen plants because water loss occurs mainly through leaves. Part of the reason why deciduous plants shed their leaves is to prevent water loss, but the winter wind still sucks water away from the thin branches and branches.

If you have Japanese maples in your landscape, you may notice many straw-like dead branches every spring. This is a good example of winter wind damage. The new growth of Japanese maple is very tender and does not "harden" in autumn, so it is easily affected by the cold and wind in winter. This is why we recommend that Japanese maples be planted where they are not affected by the dry winds in winter.

Evergreen shrubs (such as boxwoods and rhododendrons) and trees such as spruce and pine keep their leaves in winter. Their leaves and needles are the target of dry winter monsoons, especially in tender new growth. This is why we do not encourage pruning or pruning after late spring, because cutting plants will stimulate new shoots, and these shoots do not have time to harden before winter arrives.

Don't expect winter rain or snow to water your landscape. It takes a few inches of steady rainfall to soak into the subsoil all the time, and the subsoil moisture is now at its lowest point in history at this time of the year. Once the ground freezes, rainwater cannot penetrate into the roots of the plants and will only run off.

Take advantage of a mild December day, before you put all the water pipes away, thoroughly soak the root zone of all woody plants and trees, especially evergreens.

Deep root watering requires patience; sometimes it is best to place the hose on a trickle and then leave it under each plant for a few hours. Take the time to drink a good glass of wine for your bushes and trees, which may mean the difference between seeing them brown this winter or enjoying healthy new green growth next spring.

Steve Boehme is a landscape architect/installer who specializes in landscape "remodeling". "Let's Grow" is published once a week; listed files are located on the "Garden Recommendations" page of www.goodseedfarm.com. For more information, please visit www.goodseedfarm.com or call GoodSeed Farm Landscapes at (937) 587-7021.