That's exactly the point @JennyJ. A single, sharp frost of minus 4 , 5, or lower, is very different from consistent frost of around 0 or minus 1 degrees, let alone anything lower, which barely lifts for days on end. We can get both of those scenarios from late autumn onwards, although it seems to be changing somewhat. The single frost is always less of a problem. Snow insulates, so the situation you describe makes a difference too. As I frequently say, wet cold ground is far more damaging to many plants, and it's why alpine plants survive at the altitude where they grow. Any wet stuff falling is snow, not rain, and the ground is drier, as it's often more scree than anything else. At lower level, it's totally different.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Indeed @pansyface I think it's becoming more difficult because we seem to be getting patterns of weather which throw out the normal timings of plants getting into growth too.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Last April's frosts which lasted several nights over a week or more I covered my pear tree with fleece although the wind tore it and it didn't really cover the whole of the blossom and yet the blossom was just fine and the frost never had any adverse effect, also as the apple trees were too big to fleece they still fruited well. The blueberry bushes were covered with fleece during the nights when frost was forecast as the blossom had just opened also the Japanese acers got covered too.
Im debating covering my wisteria.. it took 5 years to flower in the first place and the frost got almost all of the buds last year. Its covered in fat buds. They are fragile though so can end up knocking more off! We arent due a very harsh frost though... maybe -1
My garden looks similar. It's snowing here on the Notts/Derbyshire border, and settling on roofs. As my mum said to people phoning last week to see if the tomato plants were ready yet, you're far too early, plenty of time for the bad weather to return.
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Snow insulates, so the situation you describe makes a difference too. As I frequently say, wet cold ground is far more damaging to many plants, and it's why alpine plants survive at the altitude where they grow. Any wet stuff falling is snow, not rain, and the ground is drier, as it's often more scree than anything else. At lower level, it's totally different.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I think it's becoming more difficult because we seem to be getting patterns of weather which throw out the normal timings of plants getting into growth too.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
We arent due a very harsh frost though... maybe -1