GUIDE
Protecting plants from frost
4 steps
How to do it
- 1Cover tender plants with horticultural fleece before a forecast frost, securing it so it doesn't blow off overnight.
- 2Move vulnerable containers against a sheltered wall or under cover rather than leaving them in the open.
- 3Mulch thickly over the root area of borderline-hardy plants left in the ground.
- 4Remove or vent fleece during the day if temperatures rise, to avoid overheating and trapping excess moisture.
COMMON MISTAKE
Wrapping a plant in fleece or plastic and leaving it on for weeks — plants need light and air, and permanently wrapped growth becomes soft, pale and more vulnerable once eventually uncovered.
Plants that use it
Their calendar has a job that points to this guide.
PearAprilPierisAprilPlumAprilJapanese mapleMayHydrangeaSeptemberAlpine hebeOctoberHyacinthOctoberOrnamental salviaOctoberArum lilyNovemberBottlebrushNovemberCalifornian lilacNovemberCordylineNovemberEnglish lavenderNovemberEucalyptusNovemberFigNovemberLewisiaNovemberPenstemonNovemberPeruvian old man cactusNovemberSago palmNovemberVerbena bonariensisNovemberBayDecemberOliveDecemberPittosporumDecember
RELATED GUIDES
Pruning shrubs (general principles)Feeding & NPK basicsDeadheadingWatering well