Overview
- Drain outdoor taps, hoses, rain barrels and garden pumps before frost to prevent burst pipes and expensive repairs.
- Water evergreen plants such as box, cherry laurel, bamboo and rhododendron on frost‑free days to avoid winter desiccation known as Frosttrocknis.
- Check hedges and shrubs after snowfalls and gently remove heavy or wet snow with a soft broom or light shaking to prevent broken branches.
- Delay major pruning until spring, avoid cuts before February, and do not prune when temperatures fall below minus 5 degrees Celsius.
- Reinforce winter protection by insulating containers with breathable materials, using leaf litter or mulch for root insulation, shielding young trees from browsing, and monitoring indoor plants for woolly aphids and spider mites.