4 minute read
Les Davies MBEOutdoors
Oh dear, what can the matter be?
An exceptionally wet winter coupled with significant frosts and biting cold winds, akin to the Beast from the East of a few years ago, have led to lots of damage to plants. The combination of cold and wet roots has been lethal for some plants. It has even had With MARY PAYNE MBE a drastic effect on some of the French vineyards where the grape blossoms have been frosted leading to what is expected to be a 40% reduction in yield.
To try to prevent frost damage the farmers have been burning candles along the rows and some have even chartered helicopters to fly over the vineyards and stir up the cold air.
It was the frost and cold winds that put paid to the magnolias this year. Those in sheltered positions and high ground may have escaped but the flowers of many have become a disappointing brown. The new growth will be fine, this was just another year when these striking plants have suffered.
I reckon we get a good year for them one in ten and it is for this reason that I am reluctant to encourage folk to plant them in exposed areas or frost pockets. I have a theory that the pink flowered ones, such as M. x loebneri ‘Leonard Messel’, ‘Star This is especially important for evergreens as the cold wind Wars’, and ‘Susan’ tend to fare better, but I cannot guarantee it. has sucked the moisture out of the leaves. For all these, just The evergreen magnolias flower much later in the summer, so dampening the soil around them is not sufficient, each do not suffer this trauma. individual plant will need careful watering every couple of days.
The wet and cold also had a devastating effect on many plants Many broad-leaved evergreens, such as euonymus, griselinia of Mediterranean origin like rosemary, lavenders, sun roses and and photinia that produced new growth, encouraged by the rock roses. Sadly, these plants rarely break from old wood if cut unseasonably warm spell that we had in late March, have back severely. Sometimes the plant is so severely affected that suffered foliage scorch. The sadness is that this distorted new replacement is a better option. growth will be with you for a couple of years or more unless
Even some buddlejas have been killed this year. They survive you are brave enough to cut it back and wait for new foliage to on old buildings, apparently on fresh air, but in the soil where emerge. the roots have been wet and cold they suffer and the new Garden centres are very quick to start selling tender bedding growth is vulnerable to frost damage. It is wise to leave pruning plants. Buyer beware, these need to be cossetted until the your buddleias until mid to late April. coldest weather is over and should never be planted in the
Mophead and lacecap hydrangeas have also suffered. This garden before the end of May or early June when the risk of year’s flowers are carried in the topmost buds and if these have frosts has passed. The same goes for tomato plants which hate been damaged by frost then there will be few or no flowers this being chilled and the foliage will literally turn blue. Even an season. Hydrangea paniculata and H. arborescens ‘Annabelle’ unheated greenhouse has been too cold at night for them. do not suffer this fate as they produce their flowers on the new Fruit crops may well be reduced as the flowers of growth made this year. blackcurrants, strawberries, pears and plums are vulnerable to
There are now new lacecap and mophead hydrangeas that frost damage. The blackcurrant industry is selecting varieties flower early on last season’s growth and then flower again on that flower later to avoid the problem. Redcurrants are rarely the new growth, so at least you get a “second bite at the affected as they flower later. cherry”. Hydrangea ‘Everlasting Bride’ is one such variety that The centre of a strawberry flower will go black when it has was bred for the cut flower market, but makes an excellent been frosted. If this cold spell persists then early flowering garden plant for smaller gardens, as it only grows two to two apple blossom may also be affected and pollinating insects are and a half feet high by the same across. reluctant to venture out in a cold weather. Early potatoes and
The flower buds of early wisteria have also been affected. even later ones could well have been frost damaged but will Camellia flowers likewise and the white ones particularly so. I usually sprout again. avoid using white camellias because they are more vulnerable. Those living in low lying areas, such as the bottom of the
Care is required when buying shrubs from garden centres that Chew Valley, will have experienced more damage than those have been grown in polythene tunnels as the warmer living at higher altitudes as the cold air rolls downhill creating environment encouraged new growth which can easily be frost pockets. The magnolias demonstrated this perfectly this touched by frost. year.
The weather has also been unseasonably dry with very few The talk of climate change has encouraged the gardening April showers, so plants in pots may be very dry and require fraternity to push the boundaries and try growing more plants careful watering to re-wet the compost. It is vital that the previously considered too tender for our shores but every so original root ball of all newly planted trees, shrubs and often we get a year, like this one, when we are reminded that perennials, is kept moist as well as the surrounding soil. care is necessary.
