Hedge your bets

THE recent storms that battered have left their mark on gardens across Ireland, with trees and plants succumbing to ferocious gales.

Even if you thought your garden was not situated in a windy site, the recent climatic trend towards high winds may be making you think differently. Strong, desiccating winds are one of the main threats to the health of plants and your garden, as they result in the restriction of plant growth.

This is known as ‘wind pruning’ and leads to the misshapen development of leaves and branches on the leeward, more sheltered side of plants. Intense wind will also cause excessive transpiration (water loss through leaves), and will inevitably cause leaf scorch and ultimately the demise of a plant.