Warm wet winter weather- followed by frost: advice on minimising damage to garden plants
Cold, frosty weather and waterlogged soils are two of the biggest killers of garden plants - especially in combination. Below are a few handy tips to ensure that damage to plants in gardens is minimised.
Short-term remedies
1. Cover smaller flowering plants with a cloche or fleece before frost to protect against frost damage.
2. Waterlogged plants in pots should be upturned. Remove the parts of the root system that are affected and replant into fresh compost. A smaller pot may be required due to the reduced root mass.
3. Try to keep off the waterlogged soil until it is workable to avoid worsening the conditions.
4. Remove dead or dying shoots from affected plants.
5. Apply a dressing of a balanced fertiliser in the spring and mulch over the root area.
6. Foliar feeds during the growing season may help improve leaf colour and encourage new root growth.
7. Water thoroughly in dry spells as plants will be more susceptible to drought stress following waterlogging.
Long-term prevention
1. Deep digging in the autumn and working organic matter into beds can help to improve drainage and aeration.
2. Avoid overwatering container plants and ensure they are well crocked and free draining.
3. Select plants that are likely to grow well in wet soils.
4. Avoid smearing the sides of planting holes on heavy soils - use a fork for digging and break down the sides.
5. A drainage system may be required where waterlogging occurs frequently. Alternatively, grow plants in raised beds or plant trees on a slight mound.
6. Use a very thick mulch of organic matter around particularly susceptible plants. This creates an aerated area between sky and soil where roots thrive even in wet conditions.
Few plants will tolerate and survive extended periods of waterlogged or flooded conditions. The following trees may be grown successfully in soils that are permanently moist, if there is some oxygen in the wet soil.
Alnus cordata, A. glutinosa, A. incana (Alder)
Amelanchier lamarckii
Betula pendula (Birch)
Crataegus laevigata
Fraxinus excelsior, F. ornus (Ash)
Liquidambar styraciflua
Nyssa sylvatica - acid soils only
Paulownia tomentosa
Populus (Poplars)
Pterocarya stenoptera
Pyrus communis (Pear)
Salix (Willows)
Sambucus (Elders)
Sorbus aucuparia (Rowan or Mountain Ash)