THE FROZEN GARDEN
We were iced in over the holidays. Being on top of an ungritted road up a hill up then at the end of a dirt track, we tend to be a forgotten entity in adverse weather. None of us minded much as it was holiday time and we were thankful that the other utilities were still active. We spent one Christmas and New Year, not so long ago, on the outskirts of Westport with no electricity, telephone heating, other than a small stove. Our water was off too, except from a well down the road where we had to tread on the “Caution do not drink - Contaminated with e-coli” sign to get to the leaf covered water. It was a harsh couple of weeks but we did enjoy huddling around a candle for light and warmth…it brought us closer together as a family (again to conserve heat). This year we still have everything working in the house so it was really enjoyable to get out into the cold frosty hills and enjoy the countryside on foot other than driving through it. You don’t have to walk anywhere far in Inishowen to get some spectacular views. There are a few precautions to take in the home and garden to save any disasters as one of our friends found out after their water pipe burst and flooded their kitchen. Besides insulating your pipes, let’s have a look what we can do in the garden to save these expensive and prized plants in the garden.
The effects of cold on plants
Frost, causes the water in tender plant cells to freeze, damaging the cell wall. Frost-damaged plants are easy to spot, their growth becomes limp, blackened and distorted. and tender plants take on a translucent appearance. Frost problems are often made worse where plants face the morning sun, as this causes them to defrost quickly, rupturing their cell walls.
Hardy plants and tough evergreens can also be damaged by prolonged spells of severe cold when soil becomes frozen, their leave can become brown at the tips. Roots are unable to take up water and plants die from lack of moisture.
How to reduce the damage
Prevention is far better than cure, so try to minimise the damaging effects of cold on your plants:
· Try to plant tender specimens in a sheltered spot, under large trees and shrubs or against walls, give them some heat and protection during the winter.
· Ensure that plants with tender flower buds or shoots are not planted in east-facing sites.
· Leave the old growth of tender plants unpruned over the winter months. This will help to protect the central crown of the plant and take the brunt of any frost
· Avoid golden or variegated plant varieties that are often more tender.
· Choose plants that are reliably hardy, all of our garden centres can help you with that.
· Avoid high-nitrogen fertilisers as they encourage plants to make lots of sappy leafy growth that is particularly susceptible to damage, especially early and late in the year.
· damage. If plants are cut back hard in autumn new growth could be damaged by frost.
· Cold air and frost always descend to the lowest point in a garden so avoid planting tender plants in obvious frost pockets.
Protecting plants
How we protect plants from the effects of cold depends on the type of plants and the situation they are growing in.
· Protect the crowns of tree ferns and insulate their trunks by wrapping them in layers of fleece or hessian stuffed with straw. Cordylines and palms should be treated similarly, by tying their leaves into bunches, to protect their crowns.
· Protect low-growing plants from wet weather by covering them with a sheet of glass or a cloche and surrounding them with a layer of gravel or grit, to ensure swift drainage.
· Choose outdoor containers that are frost-proof to prevent them cracking. Lift pots and containers into a shed or greenhouse for protection. Those that can't be moved should be placed on 'pot feet' to prevent waterlogging. Using a light, free-draining compost with added perlite will also help with this. Insulate them with a layer of bubble wrap or hessian to prevent them freezing and cracking and ensure plant rootballs stay healthy.
· Plants that are trained against walls or tender plants growing in the open ground can be protected with fleece-covered frames. Alternatively, sandwich a layer of bracken leaves or straw between two large sections of chicken wire and use this to cover plants during frosty evenings. Tender bulbs, corms and tender, herbaceous plants that die back, should be covered with a thick mulch of manure, straw or old leaves to prevent the soil from freezing.
· Evergreen plants will benefit from a thick layer of mulch around their bases to keep the soil frost-free. This will allow them to take up moisture during periods of cold weather and stop them from becoming dehydrated.
· Tender plants should be grown in pots so that they can be moved inside during bad weather. Take cuttings of those that cannot be grown in pots and overwinter these in a warm greenhouse, ready for planting in spring.
Helping damaged plants
If your plants do get frosted this doesn't necessarily mean the end for them, many plants will recover given time. However there are ways of minimising the damage:
· Protect them from the morning sun, which can damage growth if the plant defrosts too quickly. If you can't move the plants, try covering them with a layer of black plastic to block out the sun.
· Cut back frosted growth in spring to a healthy, new bud, to prevent further die back and encourage plants to produce fresh, new shoots.
· Feed damaged plants with a balanced fertiliser (one with equal amounts of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium) to encourage strong, healthy growth.
· Dig up small, tender plants and take them into the greenhouse or bright area of a shed. Many will quickly produce new growth and recover, provided they are not subjected to prolonged periods of heavy frost, wet or cold.
· Newly-planted specimens will often lift themselves proud of the soil surface if there is a hard frost straight after planting. Check them regularly and re-firm the ground around them to ensure their roots are always in contact with the soil.
