15:46 - 10 December 2010
Winter brings a whole new variety of challenges for the gardener. The weather is unpredictable but the temperature is about to plummet, which has a profound effect on our plants and gardens. The unprepared gardener is quickly thrown into chaos. By the time the cold snap arrives it is actually too cold to spend long in the garden and often too late to prevent cold damage. Time spent preparing for cold weather will repay you many times and help save any plants that would otherwise suffer. A bit of forward planning is essential for the best results, but if you’ve left it too late, don’t despair, simply learn from your mistakes and vow to prepare your garden for the cold a little bit earlier next year.
The Cold Snap
Snow and ice are just another challenge to the gardener. In nature plants and animals have adapted different ways to survive the cold winter weather and many of our garden plants will endure several degrees below freezing without any problems at all. The trouble is that a huge proportion of the plants that we grow in our gardens and greenhouses today hail from all around the world. Some plants are from places where snow and ice are a totally unknown phenomenon and it is these that suffer in the coldest weather.
In the Greenhouse
Many plants can be protected by greenhouse protection, though some will require some specialist care and warmth to see them through the worst of the weather. Others will survive in a cold frame or in a cold greenhouse, protected from the cold using greenhouse insulation and other techniques. The most tender plants may need conservatory or house protection or will need replacing after a particularly cold winter. You need to weigh up the cost of keeping them alive against the cost of replacing them. Don’t forget to switch off and drain greenhouse and garden water supplies and watering systems which will quickly freeze in the cold weather and insulate exposed pipes with bubble wrap to prevent them from freezing in the cold.
In the Garden
Most garden plants are hardy and will survive all but the most extreme winter temperatures. Many perennials are herbaceous and die back to ground level for the winter, with their crowns at or below the soil surface. A layer of mulch will protect them from the cold and then as the weather warms in spring they will regrow to create a mound of foliage and flowers for the new season. Other plants are woody or shrubby and either keep their leaves as evergreens or drop their leaves as they enter their winter slumber. Again, unless they are not fully hardy, these plants will come through the winter to a flourish of new growth in spring.
Lawn Care
The lawn will survive a period under heavy snowfall. It is advisable not to walk on it while it is snow covered as you may cause undue damage. The snow will form an insulating layer that will protect the grass plants for short periods of time. After a heavy and prolonged snowfall the lawn may need some extra tonic and TLC in early spring. Heavy frost can also lie on a lawn for days; again, it is good practice not to walk on the lawn when it is frosty and frozen.
Trees and shrubs
The weight of snow on branches can be sufficient to break large boughs from trees and shrubs. Knock off heavy snow using a broom to prevent broken stems and damage. Take care under heavily laden tree branches as they have the potential to shear off and fall. If there has been some damage then prune back to healthy wood so that the plant can heal itself. A clean cut will heal quicker and be less likely to become infected with fungal or even bacterial diseases.
Ponds
Try and keep an area of the pond surface free from ice. Use an old football that you can float in the water and then when it freezes over remove the ball, which will leave an area uncovered for the fish to breathe. Keep this area free from ice for as long as possible. Never pour boiling water onto a pond to melt ice.
