10/3/2005
It can, and you ought to do it to reduce problems next year. Most winter damage is caused by drying of the plant tissues. This is made worse by extreme cold, which freezes soil water, and by dry conditions, such as low humidity and drying winds, which increase evapotranspiration. The latter problem is especially bad on broadleaved and needled evergreens, the leaves of which can transpire all winter long. All of these conditions exist in Montana and so winter damage is very common. The ability of the plants to withstand long continued hard freezing (physiological drought) and long continued winter drought (atmospheric) depends on the supply of available moisture in the plant tissues going into winter. Therefore, water your shrubs and trees heavily AFTER the leaves have fallen but before the ground freezes. If you're dealing with evergreens, wait until leaves of nearby deciduous trees have fallen before you water. This will help insure that the plants have as much moisture as possible going into the winter.
Don't water the plants too early in the season. This could stimulate late vegetative growth that will not harden off in time for winter. It will die back and have to be pruned out next year. When the leaves have fallen you can be pretty sure that you will not stimulate any late growth.
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