How to protect plants in Winter

Protecting plants from frost in winter is something that many varieties of plants will benefit from even if they have been planted as hardy plants.

The problem with a lot of hardy plants is that because over the last 15 years the UK has seen relatively mild winters, some plants such as Cordylines and palms that are classed as hardy here in the UK were killed of by the harsh winter back in 2009 with temperatures going down to -15 degrees.

There are many ways of protecting plants from the frost which include using a mulch to protect the roots, garden fleece to cover up plants, moving plants into a greenhouse and planting plants in sheltered spots to give them added protection. In the article below I will go through all these methods in more detail.

Dahlia damaged by frost

Why does frost damage plants

Frost causes damage to plants because the water in the plant cells freeze, damaging the plant.  Soft foliage plants are more at risk which is why many summer bedding plants such as Begonias, Lobelia and Salvia die at the first signs of frost. Affected plants are easy to spot as the turn black and become distorted. Another problem the frost can cause (even with hardy shrubs) is if the period of frost is prolonged then the roots begin to freeze and the plants are unable to take water, a way to combat this is to put a mulch around the base of plants that are likely to be affected.

How to minimise the damage caused by frost

• Plant more tender plants in sheltered spots to help protect them from frost, ideal positions are planting against walls, under trees and in other sheltered areas in the garden.
• Avoid feeding plants in late spring with nitrogen based fertilisers because these fertilisers encourage new soft growth that will be damaged by frost. We would recommend feeding with Nitrogen based fertilisers from late May when frost is very unlikely or in June to be sure.
• Choose hardy varieties of plants that will survive the conditions where you live, a good way to find out what will survive in your garden is to look in your neighbours garden and see what plants they have.
• Plants which produce buds in the winter ready to flower in early Spring such as Rhododendrons, Camellias and Magnolias, plant where they will not receive the morning sun and in sheltered spots.
• Try to avoid planting variegated plants in exposed areas as they tend to be tender and do better in sheltered areas.
• Don’t prune plants until spring as this will encourage new growth which will be damaged by frost. By waiting until after the frost in spring you can remove any damage caused by frost if needed.

How to protect plants from frost

• Plants that are in the open can simply be covered in fleece, you may choose to make fleece frames to hold the fleece off the plants.

Garden Fleece

• To protect the roots from frost you can surround the base of plants with a thick layer of mulch, this is to help prevent the roots from freezing and allow them to still take up moisture.
• Cordylines are a common plant that need protection which we are often asked about, the leaves of Cordylines should be grouped up into a bundle and tied together with string, being careful not to damage the leaves. For added protection you can also wrap fleece around the plant. The crowns of tree ferns can also be wrapped in hessian sacking or fleece.
• When planting bulbs add a layer of mulch or straw over where the bulbs are planted to protect them from frost, once new shoots appear in Spring you can also add a layer of mulch over these to protect them from frost.

Bark, ideal to use as a mulch

• If you have plants in pots it is wise to move these inside to protect them from frost,  placing them into a greenhouse or shed is normally enough to protect them. You can also wrap the pot in hessian sacking or fleece to stop the pot from cracking and protect the roots.
• If you have perennial plants, once they die back tidy up dead growth and add a layer of mulch to protect them from frost.
• If you have Dahlia tubers or Begonia tubers etc, dig them up and leave the to dry out. Once dry wrap them in new paper and store them in a dry cool place away from frost, they can then be replanted in spring.

Other articles you may be interested in:

How to plant a winter hanging basket – Read article

Plants for winter – Winter plants discovered – Read article

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