With temperatures now falling, and dipping below zero in some parts of the UK, it’s important to protect plants that hail originally from warmer climates. They need to be moved under cover, into a cold frame<\/a>, conservatory<\/a>, mini greenhouse<\/a>, porch, shed<\/a> or greenhouse<\/a>, or given some protection<\/a> outdoors. <\/p> You may also like<\/strong><\/p> In our online poll, 71 per cent of respondents said they had lost plants to the cold snap. According to the RHS, plants need time to adapt to cold weather gradually and can be severely damaged if a mild autumn is abruptly followed by cold. <\/p> According to the Met Office, last year’s meteorological winter (December 2022, January and February 2023) was actually slightly milder than average, with an average mean temperature of 4.3\u00b0C, 0.2\u00b0C above average.<\/p> However there was significant rainfall in late autumn, followed by a significant spell of low temperatures in December, which saw temperatures drop as low as -17.3\u00b0C in Braemar, Scotland. There were subsequent spells of cold weather, too \u2013 including the coldest March temperatures since 2010.<\/p> Chief horticulturalist at the RHS Guy Barter told us: “In winter, average temperatures can be misleading… It is the extremes in temperature and duration of extremes that are significant. A brief dip to -8\u00b0C is much less lethal than prolonged periods at -8\u00b0C, when the ground freezes. This will put H3 plants at severe risk and imposes much cold stress on H4 plants, which they may or may not survive.”<\/p> Protect your plants from the cold snap<\/strong><\/p> Guy advises not to be complacent when it comes to winter plant protection<\/a>. Mulch<\/a>, fleece and wrap your susceptible plants and pots as soon as cold weather is forecast. In our poll, the plants affected last winter included\u00a0rosemary<\/a>, phormium, cordyline,\u00a0lavender<\/a>,\u00a0euphorbias<\/a>, ceanothus, star jasmine, topiary<\/a> bay, cistus, Chinese witch hazel, fatsia, santolina,\u00a0Erysimum<\/em><\/a>\u00a0‘Bowles’s Mauve’, hoheria, physocarpus, parahabe, crinodendron, elaeagnus,\u00a0abutilon<\/a>, grevillea, thyme, coronilla, convulvulus, bottle brush (callistemon),\u00a0euonymus<\/a>, date palm,\u00a0daphne<\/a>, privet,\u00a0camellia<\/a>, brassicas, passionflower<\/a> and winter-flowering\u00a0clematis<\/a>. <\/p> The Royal Horticultural Society recommends taking the following steps before cold weather sets in:<\/strong><\/p> Guy Barter, RHS Chief Horticulturist, said<\/strong>: \u201cWhile winter is known as the quietest time of year for gardeners it is important to take a few key steps to prepare your space for the cold weather. Ensuring that plants are suitably protected prevents lasting damage and prolongs the window for enjoying home grown produce. A bit of repair work and a general tidy up pays off when things start to pick up again in the spring, but be sure not to clear away all vegetation as this can provide much needed shelter and sustenance for wildlife.\u201d<\/p> Check out our full list of winter plant protection<\/a><\/p> Another 100% natural alternative to plastic derived fleece and matting. This alternative fleece is again made from sheep\u2019s wool, being a rougher bi-product of wool used for clothing. Once again it’s perfect for protecting pots and young plants from wind, cooler weather and nocturnal frost. Wrap containers, cover your plants in their bed overnight or wrap around plants exposed to wind and prone to frost when cold temperatures are forecast. Make sure to remove from plants in the ground during the day when it is warmer to aid airflow.<\/p> Natural jute hessian, also known as burlap, is a good frost protection fabric for wrapping larger borderline hardy and tender shrubs like bananas (Musa<\/em> and Ensete<\/em>) and tree ferns. It’s completely natural, but very strong and tough. It allows water and air to pass through, and at the end of its useful lifespan is completely biodegradable.<\/p> Open weave hessian fabrics such as this one are ideal for frost protection as part of frame system with, for example, bamboo canes and an inner lining of straw. Hessian is also often used for covering the rootballs of trees<\/a> and shrubs when transplanting them.<\/p> If you need mulch in bulk then a large 1000kg bag from Earthcycle is a great option for getting the job done fast. Earth Cycle Winter Mulch benefits all kinds of soils over the winter period and can even lighten heavy clay soils to make them more workable when worked into the top 15cm of soil. Apply a consistent layer to your beds and borders to insulate the soil below while its nutrients will look after and feed your veg and fruit planting such as tomatoes<\/a> or strawberries all year round.<\/p>Why does cold weather damage plants?<\/h3>
![\"Frost](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/11\/GettyImages-656473115-scaled.jpg?fit=1024,1024\")
Best winter plant protection to use <\/h2>
Manufactum Sheep\u2019s Wool Winter Protection Fleece<\/h4>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2021\/11\/Sheeps-Wool-Frost-Protection-Fleece-7fd8819.jpg\")
<\/figure>Jute Hessian Winter Plant Protection and Rootballing Fabric<\/strong><\/h4>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2021\/11\/180049050308_ml-765da10.png\")
<\/figure>Earthcycle Winter Mulch<\/h4>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2021\/11\/earthcycle-mulch-3856c48.jpeg\")
<\/figure>