Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Substitute for horticultural fleece?
Ruth2/12/03 5:45
"Franz Heymann" wrote in message ... "Ruth" wrote in message om... Hello there I have a couple of nice pineapple sage plants but from what I have read they will need some frost protection. I am wondering whether anyone has any suggestions as to what they can be insulated with - will I have to go and buy some horticultural fleece (which I haven't used before) or is there something that might do just as well? Any suggestions would be very handy! Kindest regards Bubble plastic packing material, but take it off during the day. Cheers Franz! All the best Ruth Bubble wrap will produce condensation and that, in itself, could rot your plants. I would suggest you dig your plants up, put them in pots of well-drained compost, keep them frost free in a greenhouse or conservatory with a just-above-freezing heater and as dry rooted as makes no difference and then pop them out again next year once frosts have passed, bring them in again next winter etc. Why take them out of their pots, really? Let them be an ornamental feature and then protect them each year. If you *really* want to faff around with bubble wrap, I would suggest that you *might* find that you're wasting your time anyway. Wet, cold soil that is not sharply drained may well kill them anyway. These are herbs and like all herbs of Med origin need dry feet, not our cold, wet, English winters. Even in the Med, they grow on stony soils that are sharply drained in wet winters. Your choice, of course but more people lose Salvias, Lavandulas (some) Rosmarinus (some) and other such plants through wet roots than through anything else, depending on location. For the more tender species, the frost will simply be the coup de grace when combined with the perpetually wet roots. We know that we can over-winter Salvia involucrata in a bed beside the house wall but we also know that we cannot over-winter Salvia confertiflora. We have to re-plant that every year but it's worth it because it flowers late and is a lovely colour. I'd suggest the rule is "if in doubt, don't risk it" and always, always to remember that cold, perpetually wet soil will kill many such plants and that no amount of wrap or fleece will alter that. We know that friends of ours can grow Rosemary 'Severn Seas' at Salcombe but that we are taking a risk with it here. Trial and expensive error, I'm afraid. If you don't want to take the risk, pot them up, bring them in etc. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove the 'x' to email me) |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Lawn renovation and horticultural fleece | United Kingdom | |||
Horticultural fleece | United Kingdom | |||
large width horticultural fleece or mesh? | United Kingdom | |||
Cleaning fleece | United Kingdom | |||
Cleaning fleece | United Kingdom |