Tree Fern Wrapping, Dicksonia Winter Protection
In winters gone by we didnt bother protecting our Tree Ferns, but the last few Winters (2010 onwards), have seen much colder temperatures which have caused great harm to our plants. So now, to ensure a healthy Tree Fern come springtime, we give some winter protection. We aim to keep this as simple as possible. There are lots of ways to protect a Dicksonia in the UK and almost all will do the job, the following is just how we choose to do it.
The only 'no no' is the use of non breathable materials such as bubble wrap. These will cause more harm than good.
Picture 1.
Your Beautiful Tree Fern
Pictures 2-4.
Fold the leaves into the crown. This insulates the top of the Tree Fern with a totally breathable material, its own leaves! These will turn brown with the frosts so although it feels wrong to do this when they are green it's worth it in the long run.
Picture 5.
Tie these fronds (leaves) in place with some string. If you want to then this should be adequate protection for your tree fern. Just make sure it all stays in place with the wind and rain to follow. For those of a more nervous disposition follow on...
Picture 6.
Slip a calico (cotton) bag over the top. This has two benefits, 1st as another layer of protection and 2nd to hold everything in place. Horticultural fleece or hessian can also be used for this. For larger tree ferns we use hessian sacks.
Picture 7.
The finished article. Ok it's not the prettiest looking garden ornament but it means come spring it will be ready to spring back to life :)
For belt and braces protection any remaining space in the bag or wrapping can be stuffed with straw to allow extra breathable insulation.
Picture 8.
Come springtime it should look like this again
To buy our tree ferns please click here.