Wet snow breaks shrubs. Heavy loads bend branches, split multi-stem evergreens, and flatten young hedges. Most of the damage is easy to prevent with an hour of work in November, before the first storm.
This guide covers which plants are at risk, how to support them, and how to clear snow without causing more harm.
Which plants are most at risk
Snow on the BC coast is often wet and heavy. Snow in the Interior, Kootenays, and Northern BC is usually drier and lighter, but it falls in larger totals and stays longer. Both can cause breakage.
Upright evergreens with many stems take the worst of it. Cedar hedges (arborvitae), upright junipers, and columnar yews hold snow in their branches. The weight pulls the stems outward, and they often do not spring back. Young plants and plants with a single weak leader suffer most.
Other plants at risk include boxwood, multi-stem shrubs such as dogwood and viburnum, and any shrub planted under a roof edge. Snow and ice slide off a roof in one load. A shrub beneath it takes the whole drop.
Broadleaf evergreens such as rhododendron curl their leaves in cold weather. That is normal. The leaves open again when temperatures rise.
Tie up upright evergreens
Tying keeps the branches close to the trunk so snow has less surface to catch. Do this after the leaves have dropped from nearby trees and before the first heavy snow.
Use soft material. Strips of old cloth, nylon stocking, or wide garden tape work well. Thin wire and fishing line cut into bark. Start at the base and wrap in a loose spiral up to the top. Pull the branches in snug, but not tight. The plant should look slim, not strangled.
Remove the ties in early spring when the risk of heavy snow has passed. Left on all year, they can mark the bark and block light inside the plant.
For a long hedge, a tied-up spiral on every plant takes time. A landscaper can do it in one visit. The guide on how to hire a landscaper in British Columbia explains what to ask before booking.
Build a shelter for low shrubs and young plants
Small shrubs and new plantings need cover. Make an A-frame from two boards or plywood sheets leaned together over the plant. Leave the ends open for air. The frame sheds snow to both sides.
A tripod of stakes wrapped in burlap also works. Staple the burlap to the stakes and leave the top open. Do not use plastic. Plastic traps moisture and heat on sunny winter days, then the temperature drops at night and the plant is damaged.
If you planted trees or shrubs this fall, they are at higher risk because their roots are not yet settled. The article on planting trees and shrubs in November in BC covers how to set them up for winter.
Shield plants from wind and road salt
Plants next to a road or driveway face salt spray and splash from plows. Salt burns the foliage and dries out the roots. A burlap screen on the road side blocks most of it. Set stakes a hand’s width away from the plant, wrap burlap around them, and leave the top open.
Do not shovel salted snow onto garden beds. Pile it on the lawn or in a spot with no plants. Use sand or a pet-safe de-icer on paths near shrubs.
In windy, open sites, such as the Interior and parts of the north, the burlap screen also cuts winter wind that dries evergreen needles.
Water before the ground freezes
Dry soil makes evergreens weaker in winter. If the fall has been dry, water deeply once a week until the ground freezes. Water in the morning on a day above freezing.
Add 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3 inches) of mulch around the base of each plant. Keep the mulch a few centimeters away from the trunk. The fall yard cleanup checklist covers what to do with leaves, which make good mulch once shredded.
How to clear snow from a shrub
Not every snowfall needs clearing. Light snow melts or slides off. Act when branches bend toward the ground or the load looks heavy.
Use a broom. Hold it with the bristles up and push the branches from underneath. Lift and shake in small motions to knock the snow off. Work from the bottom up so the weight above does not press the lower branches down further.
Do not hit branches. Do not pull on them. Do not try to chip off ice. Frozen branches are brittle, and ice-coated branches snap. If ice has formed, leave it alone. It will melt, and the branches will often straighten as it goes.
Fix damage after the storm
Wait until late winter or early spring to prune. Snapped branches and torn bark should be cut back to healthy wood with clean pruners or a saw. Make the cut just outside the branch collar, the slightly raised ring where a branch meets a larger stem.
A bent shrub often recovers on its own. Give it a few weeks of mild weather before you decide it is ruined. Tie splayed stems back together in spring if they have not straightened by themselves.
Do not prune heavily in November. New cuts can trigger growth that frost will kill.
When to call a professional
Shrubs and small hedges are manageable for most homeowners. Call help for large trees, branches over a roof, driveway, or power line, and any limb that is cracked but still attached. These are work for an arborist, not a landscaper or a gardener. The guide on who to hire in BC explains the difference.
Keep looking around
Browse the business directory or read more local articles.