DON’T BLOW THE PLOT
not cold out there yet, but the windy weather has definitely arrived, so it’s time to begin the preparations to get your garden winter-ready.
Strong gusts can cause damage in several ways to your plot, so it pays to get ahead and pre-empt the chaos.
Take a walk around the garden and create a checklist of what needs to be done.
Light patio furniture needs to be put away in the garage or shed. At the very least, move it to a sheltered spot. I have heavy wooden chairs on my verandah and even these have been flung about in stormy weather!
Check fences, sheds, glasshouses and any other structures, such as pergolas, bird baths and trellises, to see if they need repair or strengthening. Tidy away gardening equipment.
It’s very disheartening when your lovely terracotta pots topple over in the wind and crack open. If your summer displays are finished, put the spent plants on your compost heap and use the old compost as a mulch in the garden.
Empty pots can be washed and stored for the winter. Collect any other gardening paraphernalia, such as canes and cloches. Take down hanging baskets. Trampolines can turn into kites on a blustery day and cause damage in the process. There are various methods to anchor them using kits, U-shaped stakes or even sandbags on the legs to weigh them down.
Wind is the reason we stake trees when planting them, to hold them firm while they establish a good root system. So if you are planning to plant in the dormant season, remember to stake. Supporting stakes should be a third the height of the tree above ground and positioned on the windward side so the tree is blown away from the stake.
In very exposed sites, use two or three stakes. In general, younger trees will establish a good root system quicker than more mature specimens, so in coastal or exposed areas, you are better off planting juveniles.
If your site is very exposed, maybe you need to establish a windbreak. It should be semi-perIT’S
meable, allowing some of the wind through but slowing its pace and strength. Solid structures, such as walls, aren’t suitable as they can create strong wind eddies on either side.
Instead consider planting a hedge or fences of woven willow or hazel. Native shrubs and trees are well adapted to stormy weather – holly, birch, alder, willow, hawthorn, Scots pine and mountain ash can all withstand gales.
Finally, check your plants. Tie in climbers securely. Observe if any branches on trees need cutting, especially any torn or diseased limbs. Roses can be autumn pruned – by reducing their height you help prevent wind rock, which damages their root system.
IT’S VITAL TO BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES AND SECURE ITEMS IN YOUR GARDEN TO STOP AUTUMN STORMS HAVING A BLAST