How to winter over

Hydrangeas are not hardy here in Anchorage, AK and I would like to know the best way to over winter them.

You can overwinter potted ones in a garage or cellar but those planted in the ground require other techniques. There are two basic approaches or methods that people use. They consist of using lots of leaves (or some other organic material) to cover the dormant shrubs with such that they are protected from the cold temperatures and dessecating winds. In one such method, you put a wire cage around the dormant shrub, about 6 or more inches away from the ends of the stems (side-ways and high). Then you pile the leaves. The more leaves, the more winter protection. Top the whole thing with cardboard and place some rocks to make sure it does not blow away. Keep the leftover leaves so you can add more in the middle of winter when settling occurs. In the other method, you place a cardboard above the dormant wire-caged shrub and gently apply pressure so the stems bend and flatten out. Then you leave the cardboard on top with some rocks, cover with lots of leaves and top with another cardboards so the leaves do not blow away. Remove winter protection when it looks like there will be no more late frosts (this is a toughie; some people start doing this about 3 weeks after the last avge date of last frost for your area). Snow is a good piece of insulating material so do not be afraid to use it to your advantage. But when doing so, try to remeber that its weight may push down on the leaves and expose the stems. If it starts to melt, snow can also cause fungal problems if the water keeps the plan wet for long periods of time so some people will apply a fungicide before piling on the leaves.

Thanks Luis