TV star and gardening expert Monty Don has named two items gardeners need before the winter cold arrives.
He says have the correct tools are essential and can prevent further problems later. Monty‘s advice comes as a mild autumn has surprised many people. But colder temperatures are sure to hit as the weeks get colder in the weeks ahead.
In his monthly blog, Monty urged gardeners to ensure they have two vital items in their gardening itinerary before colder temperatures are upon us. He said: “If you do not already possess them, invest in horticultural fleece and some cloches. The point is that these are only useful if you have and employ them before you need them and there is no guarantee that there will not be a hard frost in October.”
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The question of using the items he spoke about and said cloches provide protection for plants which are low-growers. He added that they work similar to greenhouses and polytunnels on a much smaller scalee. This was also explained by the the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
The small structures work well with vegetable rows and keep them dry and warm. But he stressed the ends should be left open to provide ventilation. Horticultural fleece, meanwhile is a lightweight fabric used to protect plants as temperatures plummet. Monty said: “Fleece is the best temporary protection against frost, either laid out over small plants or draped over shrubs and bushes.”
The Mirror reported plants which have been hit by frost results in water in the cells freezing and the plants dying. The gardening expert also advised those with terracotta plant pots to bring them indoors or wrap them up in hessian or bubble wrap for insulation. He says this is because “terracotta absorbs water, so during a hard frost any wet soil inside will expand and can cause the pot to crack.”
Tender plants should also be brought under a cover before the first frost, Plants such as salvias, pelargoniums, succulents, fuchsias, eucomis and hedychium will all need moving before temperatures drop.
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The RHS warns: “Hard frosts can blacken and kill stems or whole plants” which later added “plants exposed to early morning sun may thaw too rapidly after a frost, causing damage to flowers and young growth. Camellia and magnolia flowers in particular can be ruined by a single frost.”
The organisation’s experts recommend covering the roots of evergreens, conifers, tender shrubs and tender perennials with a thick layer of organic mulch. This they say prevents “the ground becoming frozen”. ChronicleLive, reports it’s also worth leaving growth on more tender plants such as penstemon alone until spring which provides additional protection against the frost.