Caring For Tender Trees Or Shrubs
Looking after tender species of trees or shrubs can be a risky business, one has to be prepared for the plant to become damaged or even die, especially in severe weather conditions. Tender plants needs to be given extra care and attention if they are to survive through to the next season.
Where you postion your tender tree or shrub is important. Take care to site them close to trees, hedges, large shrubs, or any wall or building that will offer protection. The planting of your tender plant against a south facing wall may mean the difference between life or death for your plant.
Smaller trees and shrubs can be 'wrapped up warm' for the winter using a few layers of horticultural fleece. The fleece is also available as drawstring bags which are useful for shrubs as they are easily placed over the top. These simple and convenient fleeces provide extra protection against the frost during the winter months. Never protect your plants and shrubs by wrapping them in plastic or any other non-permeable material. These types of materials cause a build up of condensation, and in time cause the tree or shrub to rot and deteriorate. In an emergency situation they could be used, but only for ver short periods of time.
One method of protecting the bases or stems of tender shrubs is to wrap them in a breathable material. Hessian or sacking would be ideal for this, just remember to hold the material in place with twine and not wire which will damage the stems. The more hardy type of plant or shrub will be a lot stronger once it has been well established, however, it would be best to continue to provide protection in the cold weather for the first couple of years or seasons.
If you have shrubs planted against a wall or building then you could easily make a shelter for them. This is easily done using chicken wire to form a tent over the shrub, and then fixing the chicken wire to the wall. Once you have done this you can either fill it with straw or even dry leaves from your garden. Do not use hay as this retains moisture and will eventually cause the stems to rot and deteriorate.
Do not let this put you off buying the more tender variety of tree or shrub. The pleasure and enjoyment your chosen plants will give you in time is well worth the effort. Trees and shrubs are the focal points within any garden and are the perfect platform for creating the garden of your dreams.
More books about caring for trees can be found at the bottom of this page.
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