From the President
The seasons are shifting, and soon our world will be blanketed in white. Over the past month, we’ve seen some unusual storms, bringing strong winds that stripped the trees of their leaves. These fallen leaves now form a natural mulch, helping to protect the garden as we brace for an early onset of colder-than-usual winter weather.
As long as we have cloud cover, our temperatures will stay mild. But when this cloud cover lifts the temperature will drop dramatically. This is the time to prepare and protect any plants that are a little tender to the cold.
- Plants in pots can be moved indoors or under cover near your house where the escaping heat can help to protect some of the plants in pots or those plants that are moveable.
- Established plants that need protection can be wrapped up in hessian/burlap. Being a natural fiber fabric, it has great insulating properties.
- Plastic sheeting can also be used. Products like cling wrap or bin bags, even heavier plastic like rolls of drop sheet plastic can be used.
- Plants can also be wrapped up in dry straw or even the ends of cedar branches or spruce or fir etc, etc. The important thing is to protect the plants from the wind and temperatures below zero degrees C.
Snow is also good at insulating your plants so leave the snow on your garden for as long as possible through winter.
This is also the time to disconnect irrigation systems and if they have brass, steel or PVC components try your best to get as much water out of the lines as possible. We are going to have a good winter this year. Heater cables can also be used if disconnection is not practical. It looks like we are in for a cold winter – wrapping up exposed taps is a good idea.
Don’t be in a hurry to cut off dead leaves like on peonies and crocosmia and rudbeckias as the dead leaves from last season will help to insulate the stems and roots through winter. I know that it looks scruffy but it is how nature looks after itself.
This is also a good time to cut back your hydrangeas; don’t leave it too late as this will affect your flowers for next summer.
Keep warm everyone and watch out for the ice on the ground.
Dirk Meyer
President.