Fleece is a popular material for protecting plants from frost in winter. You can read in this article how well fleece is suitable as a cover for hydrangeas and what you should pay attention to when attaching it.
Should you cover hydrangeas with fleece?
Fleece is the ideal cold protection for hydrangeas. However, it is not always necessary, as under certain circumstances it encourages the hydrangeas to continue sprouting in winter, which makes them more sensitive to cold. Therefore, fleece should only be placed over the hydrangeas at night as needed and removed again on frost-free days. A cheap alternative to fleece is to use old clothing or other textiles.
Why should you cover hydrangeas with fleece?
Fleece serves ascold protection for hydrangeas Although the plants are relatively winter-hardy, you should still protect them, especially from severe night frost, so as not to risk frost damage to the freshly sprouted buds. Young plants in particular are still somewhat sensitive to frost, so you should not forego winter protection so that the bushes do not freeze.
When should you protect hydrangeas from the cold with fleece?
From the first frost onwards, you should think about protecting your hydrangeas from the cold. Whether covering is necessary depends in particular on whether and to what extent new buds have already sprouted. If the last few weeks were mild, the buds could already be more developed and therefore sensitive. If, on the other hand, they are still tightly closed, the cold is less bothersome to them. If you overwinter your hydrangeas in a place protected from rain and wind, for example near a house wall, frost protection is only necessary in the event of extreme night frost. During the day you should remove the protection if possible, as the hydrangeas will continue to sprout if it is warm enough under their fleece cover. The further the flowers have sprouted, the more sensitive they are to frost. This rule of thumb is: In winter it should neither be too warm for the hydrangeas, otherwise they will sprout too early, nor too cold, otherwise they could suffer frost damage.
How do I cover my hydrangeas with fleece?
Fleece is particularly suitable for covering hydrangeas because it is light. Nevertheless, you should make sure that you do not break any branches or flowers of the shrub when attaching it. To be on the safe side, you can stick a fewplant stakesinto the soil around the hydrangea to support the weight of the fleece. Otherwise, you can simplylay the fleece over the hydrangeaand at the bottom, for example,weigh it down with stonesso that it cannot be carried away by the wind. When packing, make sure that there are no open spaces left. This means the plant is optimally protected from wind and the air temperature around the plant remains constant.
When should you remove the fleece?
During the winter you should remove the fleeceduring the daywhen temperatures rise above 10 degrees Celsius. This measure is particularly important when the sun is shining or if you use dark fleece to prevent the hydrangeas from sprouting too early. After thelast frost you can free the hydrangeas from their winter coat.
Tip
Winter protection alternatives to fleece
Instead of buying expensive fleece at the garden center, you can cover your hydrangeas with an old bed sheet or T-shirt. However, keep in mind that jersey and other fabrics are heavier than fleece and absorb moisture more quickly, giving them additional weight. In this case, be sure to use plant stakes to attach the fabric to so that your hydrangeas do not collapse under the weight of the cover.
