Denver Landscape Designer's Guide to Winter Watering

When the temperatures drop and snow falls, some homeowners believe that their landscape can stay untouched until spring. After all, the chilly weather appears to send everything into hibernation, right? Not so fast! While your plants may not be actively growing in the winter, they still require proper maintenance, particularly water. In this guide, our Denver landscape designers will debunk the idea that winter means "no watering" and explain why hydration is just as vital in the colder months as it is in the warmer ones. 

Winterized Landscape Habits Are Unique in the Front Range 

The winter climate in Colorado is very different from the rest of the states. We tend to have nearly 300 days of sunshine annually, despite the cold and snow. This presents a conundrum for gardeners since the high altitude, semi-arid environment keeps the air dry even when there is snow on the ground. 

During the winter, we can suffer major freeze-thaw cycles. During the day, temperatures frequently reach above freezing, causing snow to melt and water to evaporate rapidly. At night, temperatures decrease, and water refreezes, causing dehydration in many plants. As a result, natural precipitation and snowmelt alone may not always provide the moisture that your plants require. Watering in the winter is consequently an essential activity for maintaining the health of your environment. 

Winter Watering for Trees 

Though many trees are dormant in the winter, they require water to maintain cell health and prevent winter damage such as frost cracking and desiccation. Evergreens can be fragile because their needles store moisture throughout the year, resulting in winter water loss via evaporation.  

It may seem unnecessary to water deciduous trees that lose their leaves in the winter since they do not appear to be growing. Even yet, their roots require hydration, particularly in dry situations when the tree does not receive liquid from snowmelt or rainfall. The objective is to avoid soil saturation while ensuring that water reaches the root zone. Because young or newly planted trees may not yet have a robust, deep root system, this is particularly crucial.  

To efficiently water your trees during the winter, our Denver landscape designers recommend watering directly to the tree's ground level, ensuring that it reaches the roots. Using a deep-root watering tool or a soaker hose will allow water to sink into the soil rather than rush off the top. When the temperature exceeds 40°F on a warm, dry day, water may seep into the soil before freezing at night. Depending on the weather, trees should be watered once every four to six weeks. 

Winter Watering for Shrubs 

Additionally susceptible to winter dryness are shrubs, especially evergreen or semi-evergreen varieties. Like trees, shrubs need water to survive the dry winter months, but because of their smaller size and often more compact root systems, they require irrigation in a different way.  

The most essential periods to water evergreen bushes are in the fall before the first freeze and during warm spells in the winter when temperatures surpass 40°F. Watering evergreen plants at these times helps to avoid the drying of leaves or needles, which can cause browning or dieback. Many shrubs, such as boxwood and juniper, may not exhibit indications of stress right away, but dryness over the winter could make them prone to injury in the spring. 

Shrubs should be watered slowly and deeply, just as trees are. Less sophisticated sprinkler systems should be avoided since they can produce excess moisture on the surface, causing the plant to freeze and suffer harm. Instead, placing water directly at the plant's base promotes deep root hydration.  

Additionally, mulching shrubs can help retain moisture and shield the roots from the effects of extreme temperature changes. It's important to keep in mind that some shrubs, especially deciduous ones, might not require winter irrigation unless they were just planted. Unless the weather is exceptionally dry, well-established shrubs that are dormant throughout the winter often don't need to be watered frequently. 

Let Us Take Care of Everything 

Watering your landscape in the winter doesn't have to be hard, and with the appropriate plan, it can stay vibrant and healthy even in the coldest months. Our Denver team of landscape designers at Enviroscapes can expertly care for your garden and ensure that all of your plants get the water they need at the right time. We specialize in winterized landscape strategies—by keeping an eye on freeze-thaw cycles and making sure that every tree and shrub is properly hydrated, we make winter landscaping easier.  

Let us take care of everything so you can unwind knowing your landscape will be ready for springtime success!