Don't lose your favourites to the first frost. Here's how to lift and store tender plants.
Created by jflgardens.co.uk
Many favourite plants are tender and will not survive a hard winter outdoors. By lifting and storing the ones you want to keep, you save the cost of buying fresh and carry your most reliable plants over from year to year.
Dahlias, cannas and begonias are the classics to lift and store, and tender bulbs such as gladioli are well worth saving too. Tender plants still in pots are even simpler — you can bring the whole container indoors. Aim to do the work on a dry spell, before any hard frost does lasting damage.
Once the first frost has blackened the foliage, that is the plant telling you winter is close. Cut back the spent top growth, leave the clump to settle for a few days, then lift it gently with a fork, keeping the good root and results intact.
Now off the spent growth, lightly clear the soil and let the roots dry thoroughly. Then pack them in a box of dry sawdust, peat-free compost or sand so they sit apart and air can move around them — this helps to stop rot by keeping them dry.
Keep the store somewhere cool, frost-free and dark, such as a garage, shed or unheated room. Check the stock every few weeks and remove anything that spoils, and the plants will be ready to split, restart and replant in the spring.
From seasonal garden care to a full maintenance-style overhaul, the JFL Gardens team works across Surrey and London.
