It’s getting cold.
January to early February is usually seen as the depth of winter and
this year is no exception. Yes, the daylight is getting longer by a minute or
two a day but that doesn’t make spring seem any closer. I’ve no complaints
though as a nice cold spell works wonders on the garden, clearing up a lot of
the old foliage after it’s turned to mush.
Checking CO2 Levels in the Home
There’s a tendency to keep the doors and windows tightly
shut in this cold weather. A lot of houses are now really well insulated and
with the addition of double glazing there’s very little chance for a good
stream of fresh air to come into the house. We recently bought a carbon dioxide (Co2)
tester for the home as assess the parts per million in the rooms (ppm). Even
with houseplants photosynthesising absorbing the Co2 and pumping out oxygen in
the night time we saw the read out reach quite unacceptable levels in rooms
where we spent a lot of time.
Exposure to high levels of carbon dioxide can produce a
variety of health effects. These may include headaches, dizziness,
restlessness, a tingling or pins or needles feeling, difficulty breathing,
sweating, tiredness, and increased heart rate and it’s very rarely tested for
in homes unlike carbon monoxide.
The levels weren’t high enough for concern though (up to
1700ppm) but the recommended healthy amount is but it is enough to get a bit
drowsy or complain of stale air. 250/300 ppm is the usual outdoor range and the
polytunnel confirmed this when the doors were open. Rotting vegetation can
produces a lot of Co2 but as this is outside it soon dissipates into the air.
Open fires can increase the levels though even with a through draft. 5000ppm is
the maximum amount for a work environment but it wouldn’t be very safe, making
you lose cognitive abilities such as reason and reflexes and that’s alarmingly
the amount that can build up inside a motorbike helmet.
That’s shown me that forcing myself outside to do some work
warms me up so when it’s time to go back indoors I don’t mind so much that I
have had the windows opened for an hour or two a day. I used to think the stale air feeling came
from condensation but the “Sick Building Syndrome” a lot of us face in winter
is a bit more complex than that. Open those windows folks.
Hedges
Many mixed hedges are pulled down to make way for fences and
walls. Hard barriers that are often made
with treated wood or plastic. Building solid structures like these can also
divide wildlife habitats and impede the flow of traffic for animals that may
have traditionally crossed in the area. Freedom of movement is very important
in nature.
There are two main hedging styles we can adopt for our own
garden dividers that will offer privacy but allow for free movement. Formal
hedging and mixed wildlife hedging are available, both of which absorb Co2.
Wildlife hedges
Not only will a mixed wildlife hedge provide habitat for
birds, pollinators and others, but it also assumes the services that a regular
fence would, like creating privacy, noise reduction, and defining the edge of a
property. And for the lazy gardeners out there, it doesn't take much work once
it's up and running. There are plenty of lists to choose from when it comes to
deciding what’s best for a particular location. You’ll always be adding
hawthorn though as that does well everywhere and the bees will thank you for
it.
Planting Time
Plants sold without any soil on their roots, known as
bare-rooted, could be planted during the dormant season only (November to
March). These are my favourite option because of the low price and the success
rate is far higher than container plants.
Container-grown hedging plants can be planted at any time of
the year, except when the soil is frozen or waterlogged, but autumn is the
ideal time for deciduous hedges because the soil is still warm enough to
encourage some root growth before the onset of winter. This helps the hedging
plants establish quickly so that they are more able to withstand any hot, dry
spells the following summer. They can be very costly though and the bare root
plants will soon catch up.
Formal hedge
There are a lot of formal hedge plants to choose from. I
like the box hedge as its slow growing but I also have a soft spot for privet.
Lavender, photinia, eleagnus, laurel and escallonia are all great choices
depending on the location.
Ideally position boundary hedges so they are set back a
little way (e.g. 90cm/3ft) from the boundary line. This will allow the hedge to
fill out before it becomes an issue with overhanging the pavement or a
neighbour's property.
