A hard frost can do real damage in a single night. Here's how to guard your plants through the coldest spells.
Created by jflgardens.co.uk
Frost strikes without warning and can blacken tender shoots, split pots and wipe out half-hardy plants in a night. With a little foresight and a few simple covers, you can keep your garden protected through every cold snap — with the tools and habit of checking the forecast.
Understand which plants are fully hardy and which are tender or half-hardy. Tender bedding, young growth and container plants are most at risk, so focus your winter protection on the plants that genuinely need it rather than wrapping everything.
Half-hardy tubers, bulbs and pots simply come indoors or into a greenhouse for winter. Lifting dahlias, cannas and geraniums and storing them dry and frost-safe is far easier than trying to protect them outside.
For plants that must stay out, add a layer of horticultural fleece, a cloche, or a thick mulch at the base. In an unheated greenhouse, the same covers add valuable degrees of warmth on the harshest nights.
Water-stressed plants suffer frost worse, but soggy soil and excess moisture on cacti or succulents cause them to rot. Water moderately ahead of a frost and drain or move containers so they don't sit in ice and water.
From seasonal garden care to a full seasonal-style overhaul, the JFL Gardens team works across Surrey and London.
