LADY BUG: ALTHOUGH WINTER HAS ARRIVED, GARDENERS HAVE MUCH TO DO

We all knew it would happen, even as we reveled in the mild, comfortable weather of November and December: Winter has arrived!

No more golfing, gardening and engaging in those neat activities that the warmer days made so comfortable.

Chrysanthemums were putting out new growth, spring flowering bulbs were peeking their noses out of the ground, violets and dandelions bloomed, an occasional forsythia blossomed and one mixed up yellow Exbury azalea thought it was April.

Pansies received a reprieve and until now enjoyed a long, colorful season outdoors. Ours, however, after being hilled in, could not be really planted in a permanent place until our new shrubbery was put into place. Finally they were planted in a cold frame.

Now, though, real winter has arrived and the cold weather gardener gets his kicks out of reading the garden catalogs (see last week's Ladybug).

Vicariously, you will find yourself horticulturally involved. The bright photographs of fresh flowers and vegetables, the vivid descriptions, the new introductions will bring on early garden fever. This armchair gardening can give you a feeling of creativeness and great self-satisfaction.

We are told that during the 23,000 times we inhale and exhale each day, we take in 35 pounds of oxygen. All of it has come from green plants. At the same time plants give off oxygen, they remove carbon dioxide from the air and trap falling particles of dust and dirt on their leaf surfaces.

Evergreens such as yews, junipers and hollies are popular in landscapes because in winter they remind us of the fullness of summer. By midwinter we are happy to see anything that promises of springtime and the end cold weather.

Although there always is some plant damage during the cold weather, the alternate freezing and thawing can mean more damage ahead. The broad-leaved evergreens are much more sensitive to this damage. These include hollies, boxwoods and azaleas.

If exposed to bright sunlight, particularly in the afternoon, leaf scorch and stem damage may be more severe than on similar plants in other locations. Those located on the eastern or northern exposures may be more easily protected. At this time of the year pampering in their existing locations may be necessary. Abrupt temperature changes and drying winds are the two most damaging conditions of winter.

Winter brings with it a plant problem known as winterkill. It attacks not too healthy plants, over vigorous plants and most often, poorly adapted plants that have been not properly protected. It may cause leaf scorch, bark splitting, the death of flower buds, dead branches and sometimes the end of the entire plant.

Winterkill is not a result of low temperature alone. When temperatures fluctuate in winter, it is often harmful to many plants, particularly when the temperature gets extremely low and rises suddenly. For instance when a tree trunk is exposed to warm temperatures in the sun, followed by an abrupt drop, bark splitting may result. Alternate freezing and thawing of the ground can be particularly harmful to shallow-rooted plants. Chrysanthemums are most susceptible to "heaving" when this condition occurs.

Under some conditions even hardier plants may suffer some winter injury, but most often it affects slightly tender plants, such as tea roses, azaleas, hydrangeas and many broad-leaved evergreens.

According to the Green Survival people, the American Association of Nurserymen, the principal reason plants die in the cold of winter is that their sap freezes and expands, often forming ice crystals that puncture cell walls.

Once a plant cell ruptures, it cannot recover, and if this happens the plant will die. This occurs most frequently with a sudden drop in temperature coupled with a stiff wind.

Plants have a better chance if it gets cold gradually because the sap has a chance to concentrate, result in less water retention and decreased vulnerability to freezing.

The association suggests watering your plants infrequently but deeply to encourage the growth and development of deep root systems. Also, planting with wind barriers is a great help to protect plants from the cold of winter.

~Mary Blue is a resident of Cape Girardeau and an avid gardener.