Olive trees, aloe vera, cacti, vines, apple trees and other frost-prone plants fear the winter cold to the point of succumbing to frost. Indeed, it is fatal for some plants. However, there is a trick to save them! Follow the leader !
A frozen plant is not necessarily dead. Leaves browned, soft, hanging or curled up… If the leaves actually seem in poor condition, this is not always the case with its roots.
For a plant in the ground, it is therefore preferable to let nature take its course. You can thus help the roots to survive while adding mulch and a winter veil. Wait until spring, or even summer for some plants, and check the buds.
On the other hand, in a pot, the plant has more difficulty surviving frost. Indeed, the space left to the roots does not allow them to warm up. You will therefore need to cut the frozen branches using disinfected secateurs and leave those that are intact.
So, to avoid all this… Move it to a place sheltered from frost and cold, near a wall for example and with better exposure to the sun.
What should I do if my plant has frozen?
So once the plant is frozen, all watering must be stopped because the water could again freeze in cold weather.
Also, do not touch the leaves that have fallen to the ground, because they now protect the roots from the next frosts.
To prepare your plants for winter, a few precautions should be taken to help your plants survive the extreme cold. In fact, mulching is a technique to be used all year round to protect them.
It consists of applying an additional layer to the roots. In summer, the mulch prevents the evaporation of water and in winter, it shelters the roots from freezing by maintaining the heat.
Another trick to preserve plants from the cold consists in weeding around them to give space to the roots. Also, you can add a winter veil or plastic film to them. But do not install it on the leaves, it should only surround the pot!
Similarly, those in pots can be moved inside the house or brought closer to a wall or put under a roof if they remain outside. The idea is to limit their exposure to frost. If you can, hang the pots up so they don’t touch the cold ground. Put them on a balcony or on a wooden pallet for example.
Throughout the year
So that they are more resistant to the cold… It is therefore possible to fortify your plants throughout the year. Indeed, before putting your plants in the ground, think about the exposure.
Try to plant them in the least windy and sunniest part of the garden. Also, you can add a little fertilizer to the water used to water your plants. However one thing is certain, we stop the water supply as soon as the cold shows the tip of its nose. Read all our tips for making a natural fertilizer.
