For most gardeners, wintertime is all about preserving existing plants and preparing for the upcoming season of growth. Although the deep south typically experiences warmer temperatures during the winter months, it is possible that occasional freezing temperatures may occur and threaten the health of your plants.
Because of this, one of the best and easiest ways to keep your plants healthy is…mulch!
Winter mulching is helpful in preserving the existing moisture in the soil, keeping the ground at the right temperature, preventing premature budding while temperatures continue to dip below the freezing point, and insulating the ground to keep the root systems protected from extreme temperatures.
If plants are not shielded from the warm sun and are allowed to bud, the next freeze could be disastrous for that plant.
Provide a thin layer of any loose, insulating material around the base of the plant or in beds after the first hard freeze to keep plants in their dormant state until permanent warm weather comes back to stay.