Affects Of A Cold Winter On Gardens

[Habsish]

Anyone noticed any benefits or problems for gardeners following the colder than average winter?

I have noticed that this year my asparagus is not plagued by asparagus beetle. Well not at the moment anyway.

Regards

Habsish

[Anti-Mild]

Anyone noticed any benefits or problems for gardeners following the colder than average winter?

I have noticed that this year my asparagus is not plagued by asparagus beetle. Well not at the moment anyway.

Regards

Habsish

A couple of my perennials haven't come back this year.

On the flip side, my dicentra has gone absolutely berserk and is about 4 feet high!!

[jy]

Would think lots of benefits firstly snow melt put lots of water into the systym meaning plants and hedges that thrive on good early year water supply got just what they wanted the cold delayed the early weed growth more usual in milder winters but did inhibit grass growth too also the fruit bloom wasnt formed during the colder frostier weather so with only 2 frosts here in april most fruits look to have formed without problem whereas last year a minus 2 at just the wrong time in mid april really hammered the pear and plum crops.

[Kiwi]

Two of my Dicksonia Antarctica didn't appreciate the very low temps we got here. They've died having survived the previous 6 winters.

On the plus side I'm hoping that the cold will have knocked a few of our summer pests on the head -- especially the wasps which I have a real phobia of.

[Anti-Mild]

Two of my Dicksonia Antarctica didn't appreciate the very low temps we got here. They've died having survived the previous 6 winters.

On the plus side I'm hoping that the cold will have knocked a few of our summer pests on the head -- especially the wasps which I have a real phobia of.

There does seem to have been less wasps than in previous years although there are still loads of bees.

I just noticed something this morning whilst walking the mini A-M's to school - there is a group of ash trees just across the road from my house and they have died! Whether that's from the cold I don't know, perhaps they had Dutch Ash disease !

[J07]

Two of my Dicksonia Antarctica didn't appreciate the very low temps we got here. They've died having survived the previous 6 winters.

On the plus side I'm hoping that the cold will have knocked a few of our summer pests on the head -- especially the wasps which I have a real phobia of.

They grow in Tasmania right...your winter must have been pretty cold to knock those on the head.

Hardy to -5C according to Wikipedia.

[Kiwi]

They grow in Tasmania right...your winter must have been pretty cold to knock those on the head.

Hardy to -5C according to Wikipedia.

Yes I recorded -11C several times in January and February.

2 Dicksonia down and two survived (those protected by other trees seem to have fared best).

Cabbage trees, toi toi and flax have all survived fine. My little corner of NZ in Hampshire is damaged but will prevail!

[SP1986]

Cold winter didn't have much impact here, the Dicksonias are slow to react this year but they are alive, I'd leave them to see whether they come back because Dicksonia antarcticas are root hardy to about -18C they may grow back as pupping form, if you still have them.

If you want tender, I have an Asplenium nidus which sustained damage at +3C, I'll have to really protect that one this winter!

[J07]

Yes I recorded -11C several times in January and February.

2 Dicksonia down and two survived (those protected by other trees seem to have fared best).

Cabbage trees, toi toi and flax have all survived fine. My little corner of NZ in Hampshire is damaged but will prevail!

It's pretty hard to kill of flax I think, and I've seen Toi Toi at ~1500m over here.

Cabbage Trees are tougher than many give them credit for. They seem to grow up to 900m, and after that are replaced by the mountain cabbage tree/neinei/pineapple tree, which in my eyes is a more pretty specimen.

Quite baffling when Cabbage Trees get called "Torbay Palms" and are apparently evidence of the almost subtropical climate of the southwest coast. Tempted to send the tourism boards photos of a Cabbage Tree halfway up some windy, desolate hill near Gore.

Attached the only two photos I can find of Neinei. Lovely colour on them. Altitude approx 1200/1300m.

Oops, mistake in that. Can't remember how high I've seen Toi Toi, but it's Flax that I've seen at 1500m. Flowers a lot later than at sea level of course. In fact I find flax in Wellington are quite late, not flowering until November whereas in warmer areas they are out in October. When do yours bloom in the UK?

[SP1986]

In about April - May depending on the conditions

[Mattster1]

my garden seems to have fared better than normal here even my chilean guava plants survived unharmed outdoors, it seems to be the wet rather than the cold is the killer for my garden