Overwintering

rhs masterclass
RHS hardiness ratings
Plants vulnerable
to damage in
winter may well rating temperature
ranges c(f) plant types What is cold damage?
require protection. Guy Barter, RHS Chief Horticultural Advisor
Tropical grow
warmer than in a heated Rather than cold temperatures alone, it is ice forming within
H1a

RHS / Bob Martin

15 (> 59) greenhouse or as plant cells or between cells that causes injury. The faster the
a house plant cooling, the greater the damage caused when ice forms within
cells and the lower the likelihood of recovery on thawing.
Slower freezing causes ice to form outside cells with better
Subtropical
recovery prospects on thawing. Water removal from cells into
grow in
10to15 the extra cellular spaces lowers the freezing point within the cells, so protecting
H1b a heated
(5059) against damage. However, the cells may have insufficient water to survive,
greenhouse
eventually leading to dehydration.
or indoors
Tender, typically tropical, plants have not
evolved ways of avoiding intracellular
Warm temperate freezing. Hardy garden plants avoid intra
grow in cellular freezing and allow freezing
5to10 a heated between cells, but after a certain point
H1c
(4150) greenhouse, dehydration damage occurs. Seriously
conservatory or hardy plants from arctic and alpine regions
as a house plant are more able to tolerate cell dehydration
as they shift water out of cells to prevent Frost damage on bay.
freezing of the cell contents.
Tender keep in
a cool or frost-
H2 1 to 5 (3441)

Indoor plants
free greenhouse
in winter

Half-hardy Hardiness Rating H1a, H1b and H1c

keep in an The most tender plants perform best indoors and only in warmer temperatures
5to1 unheated
H3
(2334) greenhouse or House plants
outdoors in Plants of a particularly tender nature such as Anthurium
mild areas

Overwintering
As temperatures fall, plants of different levels of hardiness need the
appropriate level of protection to improve their chance of survival
You might imagine that, after the winter
of 2010/11, the desire to experiment with plants of
borderline hardiness would be as dead as all those
RHS / Bob Martin
crystallinum, Medinilla magnifica and Dieffenbachia are
seldom seen outdoors in the UK. They fall under rating
H1a, which is an indication of their tropical origins where
Hardy outdoors temperatures typically do not fall below 15c (59f).
10to5 It is important these heat lovers are not left between
H4 in an average
(1423) closed curtains and a cold window at night. Equally, if
winter
you have a holiday during the winter months when the
possibility of the house becoming cold is likely, leave
them in the care of a green-fingered friend.
Plants such as Clerodendrum thomsoniae are rated
Hardy outdoors H1b and are still considered tender place outdoors
15to10
H5 during a cold
finding a space to allow permanent establishment, (514)
winter
with great caution only in high summer a damaging
cool night can never be ruled out in late summer.
where their winter existence may only require a
Plants include: Calathea zebrina and Ficus lyrata.
little bit of a helping hand.

composted cordyline heads and rotten heaps of A visit to some of the great gardens of Cornwall, or
succulents. Yet this is far from the case for many equally those benefiting from the North Atlantic Drift
20to15
Hardy outdoors Conservatory and bedding
gardeners who still enjoy the thrill of experimentation, in Scotland, is surely enough to whet any gardeners H6 during very cold Plants such as Bougainvillea and most pelargoniums fall
(4 to 5)
the satisfaction of coaxing a plant (which the books appetite to start seeking out those special microclimates winters into the H1c category and make great container plants
Author: Matthew tell you is tender) through a winter, and seeing the in his or her plot such as warm walls, slopes, areas for summer months. These plants require their winter
Pottage, Garden period in porches, conservatories or glasshouses
surprise of gardening friends when they discover what protected by large evergreen trees or suitable places
Manager RHS maintained at a temperate of 5c (41f) minimum. Keep
you have growing at the base of a warm wall. in sheltered urban gardens. Very hardy
Garden Wisley. watering to a minimum with unrestricted natural light.
Most gardeners come into contact with so called So, during this critical season for plants, look around colder than outdoors; will Plants include: Beaucarnea recurvata, Brugmansia
Photography: H7
exotics, and in some cases they may be treated as your garden and identify the plants you want to keep: 20 (< 4) survive the worst and Grevillea robusta.
Tim Sandall UK winters
bedding or transported to the greenhouse for winter understand their hardiness rating and tend to them as
protection, but the ultimate challenge is of course best you can by providing protection where necessary.

68 The Garden | November 2014 November 2014 | The Garden 69

rhs masterclass
Tender plants
Hardiness Rating H2
These plants can tolerate some cold,
but will not survive being frozen
This category covers plants capable of
surviving a light frost. Everyday examples of
well-known garden plants include Fuchsia
and Argyranthemum. People are often
surprised to learn how cold tolerant some
house plants can be such as Aspidistra and
Araucaria heterophylla. Many citrus also fall
into this section.
While the ratings give a useful guide, cold
tolerance may vary depending on in situ
growing conditions. For example, plants in
drier situations will cope with colder temp
eratures far better than the same species in
saturated ground. Those given the simplest
protection, such as a rain shelter, may have
a better chance of pulling through several
days of low light levels coupled with snow
and freezing night-time temperatures than
something completely exposed.
Planting within 60cm (2ft) of a wall can
increase light frost protection and could well
be the difference between life and death for
a borderline plant. Digging in grit at planting
time is another useful tip to increase sharp
drainage at the root.
Protection from rain
When plants become too large to move
indoors, keeping water off the leaves and
surrounding soil can aid survival. This
is suitable for evergreens that require light
and air circulation, and those with rosettes
of leaves that resent moisture in the crown.
Plants include: Puya (pictured), Agave,
Dasylirion and Yucca whipplei.
70 The Garden | November 2014
Move under cover
Plants that are awkward to wrap could
come into a heated greenhouse. Ensure the
space is clean and that moisture levels are
kept low to discourage fungal pathogens.
Plants include: Abutilon (above), Acacia
baileyana, Opuntia and Solanum laciniatum.
Cover in fleece
A double layer of fleece secured over a
wall-trained shrub such as Abutilon
(pictured) helps to reduce damage from
cold winds and heavy frost. Leave gaps for
ventilation on the sides, and replace the
fleece if it becomes excessively wet or torn.
Plants include: Abutilon, Agapetes
serpens, Correa and Echium pininana.
Overwintering
Protecting woody
evergreen plants
Succulents and
cacti at Wisley
A succulent and cactus bed was
planted at RHS Garden Wisley in
summer 2010. Chosen for its
free-draining, sandy soil and
sunny, dry location, nothing
previously had thrived there.
The bed, now fully established,
has been a pleasant surprise for
staff and interested many garden
visitors: Agave parryi
needs no winter
protection and even
the most tender genus
of the plants, Parodia,
has survived several
winters outdoors.
1 Choose a mild day when the plant
(here Nerium oleander) is dry; clean
away any debris and spent flowers; and
2 Tie two layers of fleece around the
canes in place, leaving gaps at
the base for air circulation. Cover with
erect a bamboo tripod around the drip hessian for a more aesthetically pleasing
line. Gently bunch the stems together. finish while not excluding all light.
Half-hardy perennials and shrubs
Hardiness Rating H3 Hardy in milder areas, these plants can still be susceptible to sudden or early frosts
Many half-hardy garden favourites such
as Diascia and Penstemon fall into this
hardiness rating, along with some exotic-
looking bulbs such as Eucomis. More-robust
Cordyline australis and Beschorneria
yuccoides are also classed as H3 and
should remain uninjured in a mild winter.
Typically, survival is promoted by good
drainage, adequate light levels and air
circulation around the plant; remember,
too, that the removal of any rotting or dying
material throughout the winter period will
also assist survival. South- or west-facing
borders are good locations for this hardiness
group, otherwise plant in containers and
bring the pots close to a house wall over
the winter months to help survival. Avoid
carrying out any cutting back or pruning
until spring regardless of however
tempting it is to tidy up.
Protect the crown of non-woody perennials Fleece and straw all winter Bubble wrap potted plants Open wrapping in the ground
that die down in winter, such as dahlias and Plants that become dormant and lose all Potted plants left outdoors for the winter can This is a good way of protecting basal
Canna, with a thick mulch of straw or their foliage in winter can be wrapped in fleece suffer damage through the rootball freezing, growing points while allowing light and
own trimmed foliage. then totally immersed in dry straw held in a which kills roots. Wrap pots in bubble wrap or air to the plant. Use dry bracken or straw,
Many half-hardy perennials can easily be wire frame and topped with plastic to keep several layers of fleece, tucking or pinning it and periodically replace it should it become
propagated by cuttings in late summer and dry and aid survival. This is typically used for into the top compost layer. Only wrap the damp or sodden. Particularly good for
maintained without difficulty over winter as cold-tolerant banana species. entire plant in periods of extreme cold. more-tender phormiums.
small plants in a frost-free place. Plants include: Musa basjoo and Plants include: Beschorneria yuccoides, Plants include: Astelia, Beschorneria and
M.sikkimensis (see RHS Advice, October, p24). Cordyline australis and Pittosporum tobira. Eryngium pandanifolium.
November 2014 | The Garden 71
Overwintering
rhs masterclass

Plants that withstand winter

Hardiness Rating H4, H5, H6 and H7 The hardiest of plants are generally reliable but some do need early protection
Hardy with slight damage Protect terminal shoots
Plants rated H4 are generally reliable of plants such as
in the garden; however, new emerging Gunnera by placing
shoots may be damaged by late upturned leaves on
top of each other in
cold snaps and young plants may autumn, packed with
also be susceptible to the cold. It straw in cold areas.
often helps to grow H4 plants such as
Griselinia and Hebe in 2- or 3-litre pots,
before planting out in spring, allowing
a full season to establish before the
onset of winter.
Plants include: Azara, Ceanothus Young, emerging leaves can be
damaged by frost (above, on Rodgersia)
and Fuchsia magellanica. but can be pruned out after, or covered
with fleece to protect from forecasted
Fully hardy frost. Young plants may require protection
(below) but only to aid establishment in
Fully hardy plants can generally be their first year after planting.
relied on to survive a UK winter, when
planted in ground that is not water
logged or experiencing other extreme
circumstances. Hardiness rating H5
covers plants such as Epimedium
grandiflorum, which may only suffer
harm after especially cold winters, Extremely hardy
after which any damage can usually be
Ratings H6 and H7 cover the most hardy of plants
pruned out without problems in spring.
that will cope in exposed conditions and severe
Plants include: Fatsia japonica,
winters. Plants include: Acer palmatum, Cornus
Liriope muscari and Rosa banksiae.
alba Sibirica and Erica carnea.

What to do in spring? Find

Aim to begin removal of winter protection around mid-April,
depending on the conditions (a few weeks later in the far out more
North). Leaving winter protection in place for too long in spring, See The
while outdoor temperatures rise, may lead to plants within greenhouse year,
covers and cloches becoming excessively warm. This, in turn, (RHS Masterclass,
may lead to a sudden promotion of soft, weak growth. Choose The Garden, July,
a mild day when the five-day weather outlook appears fair. pp5963) for further
If the plant has survived all winter, it will cope with the odd advice on using your
cold night through May, though a late greenhouse in winter.
fleece cover can be applied if a sudden
late cold snap arrives. When unwrapping Search Hardiness
plants, clear away any dead, dying or ratings at
After winter rotten material, cutting back to healthy www.rhs.org.uk
covers are stems or tissue if rot or die-back is for more information
removed, you evident. If the plant has produced on hardiness ratings
will need to
etiolated (pale and elongated) growths and hardy plants.
prune die-back
(above) off some within the protection, reduce these
plants. Others growths by half.
may require If nothing appears to be alive above
damaged or ground level, cut back hard to 1015cm
rotten material
(right) to be (46in), as many plants have the ability
cut out. to regenerate from the base. Should no
activity be evident by midsummer, the
plant is best assumed dead.

72 The Garden | November 2014