The nights are growing longer and the days are getting shorter which can only mean one thing... Winter! You may have already felt the chill in the mornings when you crawl out of bed, but winter is always going to be something that we have to deal with... usually once a year. Of course winter doesn’t only affect us humans; it also has an effect on all living creatures, including plant life.

If you are have an interest in gardening then you might have thought it time to hang up your gardening gloves for the year and sit back, but there’s always work to do in the garden no matter what season we’re in.

Cold weather, especially frost, can damage your plants like you wouldn’t believe. Frost and sub-zero temperatures can and will cause the moisture and waters in your plant cells to freeze and turn solid. Water expands when it freezes meaning that the ice will take up more room than the water once did. This expansion of water to ice can and from ice back to water upon defrosting can rupture the cell walls, causing your plants to appear limp, distorted and even blackened.  Evergreen plants don’t get away with it either; they can turn brown with the leaves of more tender plants looking semi-transparent.

Even the most hardwearing of plants can suffer some forms of damage when the cold snaps last a little longer than expected. Soil can become frozen meaning that water cannot be absorbed by plant roots leaving the plant with no other option than death. Frost and other cold spells at the beginning of the New Year can kill of blossom and even damage fruit... doesn’t sound too fun for the garden now does it.

It’s well known that prevention is better than cure so, with that high insight, why not follow the following tips to minimise the damaging effects that the cold can bring;

·         When populating your garden with plants and shrubs look for varieties that are known to withstand the cold in the area you live in. Obviously if you live in Alaska you won’t have that many options... or the real need for a garden.

·         Avoid fertilisers that are high in nitrogen as most fertilisers promote growth which is fine when you want them to grow, however nitrogen based fertilisers promote growth of sappy leaves. These new leaves are extremely susceptible to weather damage, especially in the last few months of the year.

·         If planting outside, look to pot plants in containers that are unlikely to be damaged by the cold weather. If possible, place the plants indoors (a shed or greenhouse etc) as the difference of a few degrees can literally make all the difference the health of the plant. Any plants that need to be kept outside should be raised up to avoid water logging. Making use of light free-draining compost, one possibly with added perlite will also help with this.

With those quick tips you should be more aware of the damage that the winter can have on your garden.