Tree ferns are usually happy in temperatures as low as -5C which means that in our part of the UK they might scrape through winter fairly unscathed – if we are lucky.

Rather than take a chance with these valuable specimens it makes sense to take a few precautions. With the help of the volunteers team at The Sherborne, we have wrapped their courtyard specimens to ensure that even if we have severe winter conditions the ferns will be thriving again when the Spring warmth returns.

Step one
We loosely filled the crown of the plant with Strulch. You can use straw and some people advocate oak leaves, but any light, organic matter that will gradually biodegrade is going to be helpful. For now, we are using the material to insulate the most delicate part – the new fronds (properly known as croziers) which are curled up tight in the crown, waiting for their moment to unfurl. With time, the organic insulation will biodegrade and help to fertilise the plant too.

Step two
We wove strips of hessian over the crown between the open fronds. A layer of breathable insulating material like this or perhaps fibre fleece, provides a greater degree of protection for sudden frosts and any lingering snow.

Step three

One final strip of hessian to bind them all in place, wrapped around the outside of the crown and secured with a nice brown, natural fibre string, will ensure that all our careful preparations are not undone by the next passing storm.
In colder areas and more exposed positions, we wouldn’t leave the unfurled fronds exposed. Instead they can be pulled together and carefully wrapped with a sheet of fleece or hessian. Our fronds are expected to naturally decline through the colder months. We won’t be cutting them off as some experts think this reduces the aperture of the trunk for future growth rings. Instead we will wait until the naturally decline to the point they can be removed with a firm tug, so we know the plant is ready to release them without inhibiting the next flush of foliage.

The finishing touches supplied by the volunteers here at The Sherborne are the battery operated lights – carefully wrapped around the trunk with a little ‘pool’ of them clustered at the top, these look fantastic on a winter’s evening…

Steve