Ledbury Focus November 2019 Ledbury Focus November 2019 v3 | Page 51

Another way to protect tender plants growing in pots is to put fleece around and over the pots, to cover tender plants. You can also build a wigwam of canes and wrap the fleece around it to keep in the heat and protect the plants from cold winds and frost. Do not use plastic to cover tender plants as the condensation will freeze. Dahlias can be left in the ground, especially if you cover them with a pot with some straw inside to insulate them. I recommend putting a brick on top of the pot so it doesn’t get moved. Alternatively, they can be lifted and stored in trays of dry compost, wood-shavings or similar material in a frost-free dark shed. The tubers can then be replanted in spring. If you have tender plants that you have just planted you will need to pay particular attention to these until they are fully established. Consider covering them with fleece. If, for example you have newly planted tender climber, such as a passionflower, you might want to fix a baton above it and run fleece down to the ground where it can then be pegged to the ground to secure it. If you are doing a large planting project and want to protect the newly installed plants, consider planting some taller plant material and mature shrubs around the boundaries. This will reduce the effects of cold winds passing through the site, and create small microclimates. Regardless of how hardy plants are heavy snow can cause damage more widely in the garden. Hedges can collapse under the sheer weight of the snow. If we have heavy snow I recommend knocking any build up off of the top of hedges before it becomes Ledbury Focus frozen and heavy. Staking plants so that the snow does not force them down to the ground level and snap them is also something to consider doing. Proper pruning in the summer and winter will also help prevent some snow damage as this will change the density and texture of the shrubs. Similarly trees such as Cedrus deodara (deodara cedar) should be pruned with snow weighting in mind. This should be done by a professional certified arborist to reduce the end weight on branches and prevent branch failure. Also, with some trees with long spreading branches propping and cabling may also help to prevent branch failure in snow conditions. Whatever the weather has in store for us over the coming months, I hope this advice will keep your plants safe and protected this winter. For anyone interested in Foliation looking at any aspects of your garden from hard to soft landscaping, small to big projects please contact me on the numbers below: Jonathan Bishop, Foliation Ltd 44 Lakeside, Newent, Gloucestershire GL18 1SZ Office Telephone & Fax: [phone] email [email protected] www.foliation.co.uk Follow me on Twitter @JonBishop15 51