Winter Care

Here are some notes on my Winter Care program...

Bananas

These plants require the most attention to prepare them for winter.  Around mid to late November, I cut of the stems at about head height (this is where they will grow from the following year).

Next, I wrap the whole thing in a couple of layers of horticultural fleece.  Then there's a layer of straw, kept in by chicken wire.

The top is covered with a couple of old blankets and a tarpaulin sheet.

 

Agave Bed

This is covered by a homemade polytunnel made out of plastic drain pipes.  There are gaps at either end to let the air flow through.  The main thing is to keep them dry.  They're pretty hardy as long as the soil is dry during the winter.

 

Palms and Restios I have in pots are placed under a west-facing canopy at the back of our house.  Again, they don't mind the cold as long as they are kept on the dryish side. 

Succulents and Strelitzias I have in pots, go in the conservatory for the winter, and may come out again in mid March, depending on the weather.