Winter is coming — Dec. 21 is its first day. While that typically doesn’t mean snow days in the valley, it still gets damn cold — especially if you’re a bougainvillea. There are some easy steps you can take to help your flora hang on until spring. Here are a few tips we glommed from the Las Vegas Valley Water District and the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
Don’t: Prune or transplant a damaged plant until well after the coldest part of the season; otherwise you'll risk doing even more damage — or killing it altogether.
Do: If you have real grass, set your sprinklers on a midmorning schedule; our winter has lots of afternoon winds that hamper watering accuracy; and it gives the water time to soak in before night’s colder temps.
Don’t: When you water, do your best not to get water on leaves and petals.
Do: Fertilize your fruit trees late in the winter.
Don’t: While you should drain outdoor hoses, don’t leave faucets and spigots dripping, indoors or out, says the Water District. Our winters aren’t generally extreme enough to make that necessary.
Do: Pile a few inches of mulch around the bases of your plants to provide extra cold-weather insulation.
Don’t: Overwater your succulents, which tend to be dormant in the winter anyway. Water plus freezing weather often equals rot, say botanical experts.
Do: Plan ahead. The Water District: “February is usually mild enough to allow you to plant petunias, pansies, snapdragons and other cool-season annuals …”
