The Lemon Fool

Having lost quite a few last winter I am keen to protect those that survived

is it too early to wrap them up with fleece,,i understand wrapping shoudm only be done when they are dry ish so to avoid trapping water inside but the fleece sttill lets water/rain though so what difference is it??

and roughly how 'tight' should the wrap be\?

You could always use the Torquay solution and cut them down I supppose.

I cannot help with the fleece solution but common sense would suggest only to use fleece if there is frosty weather forecast and then you are wrapping them in fairly dry conditions. Remove the fleece again if the weather gets milder

Dod

thanks Dod
but that would mean putting them on and off numerous times over the next 3 months... which is quite a job!

mutantpoodle wrote:thanks Dod
but that would mean putting them on and off numerous times over the next 3 months... which is quite a job!

Well leave some covered over the winter and see how they do but I think during mild spells you are risking mildew unless maybe you could loosen the fleece to let air in. I have never tried that myself and just do not grow stuff that will not survive our winter unprotected. Sometimes stuff in pots can be brought inside such as a couple of Alstromerias in pots.

Sorry I cannot help any more.

Dod

no...you been most helpful,,,thanks again

mutantpoodle wrote:Having lost quite a few last winter I am keen to protect those that survived

is it too early to wrap them up with fleece,,i understand wrapping shoudm only be done when they are dry ish so to avoid trapping water inside but the fleece sttill lets water/rain though so what difference is it??

What sort of palms? And whereabouts are you? I'd be inclined to trust the RHS on this sort of thing.

I think it's worth reminding ourselves that last winter proved unusually unsurviveable for a great many plants, even in the softy south. Down in Somerset we had 11 consecutive nights of minus 10 or below, and that was highly irregular. (I remember it because I was trying to replace some panes of glass, and I couldn't get the putty to stick. ) Wisley, just off the M25, lost all its phormiums and cordylines (and so did we). https://www.rhs.org.uk/science/articles ... ant-survey

Our potted banana palms always come into the garage during the winter - but I think Monty Don may have given up on his outdoor ones! Usual advice is to give them the Torquay treatment - chop them down to a foot or so, and wrap the stems in fleece (or we use bubble wrap),and cross your fingers. Do not try this with tree ferns.

BJ

Would you lovely gardening Fools recommend wrapping young, potted acer trees in fleece?

TIA,

Watis

Watis wrote:Would you lovely gardening Fools recommend wrapping young, potted acer trees in fleece?

TIA,

Watis

They hardly lend themselves to it but I find that they are very sensitive anyway even to a cold wind. Most do not do very well with me, (north of the Central belt in Scotland) If they are in pots I would bring them inside, and if not try to find a sheltered spot for them and leave them to their fate.

They are expensive and I jut do not grow them.

Dod

Watis wrote:Would you lovely gardening Fools recommend wrapping young, potted acer trees in fleece?

TIA,

Watis

I would, acers want to be kept frost free and in a sheltered spot. I seem to remember from my horticultural life the advice of protecting the pots too so as to keep the roots from freezing. My mother used to pop the potted acers in the garage for the colderst months, they lived on the patio south facing anf well sheltered the rest of the seasons.

bungeejumper wrote:

mutantpoodle wrote:Having lost quite a few last winter I am keen to protect those that survived

What sort of palms? And whereabouts are you? I'd be inclined to trust the RHS on this sort of thing.

BJ

European Palm,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,chamaerops humilis
Chinese windmill palm,,,,,,,,,,,,,trachycarpusfortunei
Canary Island Date palm,,,,,,,,,,Phoenix Canarien,,,,

(I had to write the names down!!)

30 miles west of London....but havent been for 8 years,,,and no plans either

yes i also lost cordylines but they have all shoots new babies from the stumps which left as suggested by Monty
not sure how and when to separate from main stems but am glad to have the problem

bubblewrap is an idea...i hadnt thought of that