Changeable Winter Advice
Living in Ireland we’re used to unpredictable weather, it’s cold and dry one day and wet and mild the next. Here are a few key tips to deal with these different weather conditions:
Garden Advice for a Wet & Mild Winter
- The mild weather means you can get out and about in the gardening without freezing your fingers off.
- Dig over any open ground you may have to prepare it for planting in spring, however you should try to avoid digging if there’s a heavy spell of rain forecast as this can damage your soil structure – keep an eye on the forecasts.
- Bare rooted trees, shrubs and hardy container trees can be planted during November.
Top Tip – If your garden does become water logged use a garden fork to pierce the grass, this will aid drainage.
Garden Advice for a Cold & Dry Winter
- Dry, cold winds can damage delicate plants especially if they’ve only been planted this year, such as evergreens. Protect your delicate plants by wrapping with horticultural fleece.
- Try to avoid walking on frosted lawns and this will damage the grass underneath.
And no matter what the weather you should always do the following during winter:
- Protect tender plants.
- Check all tree ties and stakes are secure.
- Mulch around all trees and shrubs before the winter weather hits.
- Protect pots from frost or use frost-proof pots.
Recommendations:
- Apply mulch to plants in the cold and dry weather to protect from frost
- Tender bulbs should be gently lifted and stored in a dry place during the cold weather
- Cardboard and newspaper can be used to protect shrubs from the frost
- Don’t forget to water your plants in the winter if it hasn’t been a particularly wet one
We’re here to help
If you have any questions about gardening during the changeable winter weather talk to any of our horticulturists in store. We’d love to help.
