It hasn't snapped yet but it no doubt will shortly and it can get extremely cold here in Cavan. So here's some steps we can take to avoid the worst of the damage. 

Taps.

Any external taps and pipe work need to be protected. If your external pipes freeze you will run the risk of having a pipe burst which is an extremely costly problem not to mention a massive waste of water. This can be avoided by insulating any uncovered pipes with specific pipe insulation or by simply wrapping an old towel around them and securing with some garden string or cable ties. The actual tap itself should be covered too, you can get a purpose made tap cover or like the pipe you can simply wrap an old towel or bit of cloth around it. Never leave taps running to prevent frost, not only does it not really work with a bad frost but it can also create a puddle of ice beneath the tap causing a dangerous slip hazard. Your garden hoses should be detached and stored in a shed, if you don't have a shed simply put the hose in a bin bag with some old rags or sheets.  

Drains/Gutters

Drains and gutters should be cleaned out now. Check the grills underneath the down pipe and clear them. Often there may be a back up of detritus so by taking out the grill with a pliers you can often free up the blockage. Using a ladder and a bucket take out any old leaves and mud from the main gutters (be sure to have someone there to hold the ladder for you). Once you have cleared the gutters and the downpipes give a good flow of water from the hose to clean out any smaller bits.

Plants

If the forecast is giving a particularly cold night you may want to cover and softer or more sensitive plants. For ornamental trees you can wrap an old sheet or cloth around the crown and loosely tie on with some garden string (remove in the morning). Garden fleece or Frostgard Roll can be used to cover smaller plants, again, remove it once the cold night has passed. If you have smaller plants in pots they can be taken inside overnight but be sure not to bring them into a really warm room as the temperature change can shock them, if you have a garden shed it would be ideal. 

Paths

Icy paths are lethal and so if we know a particularly bad night is coming gritting or salting them is advisable. Salt goes a very long way and it can also be very damaging to the ecosystem of your garden. The rule of thumb is 10-15g of rock salt per square metre. It is damaging to soil/plants so keep it well away from any beds or lawns. Always keep your rock salt in an air tight container because if the moisture gets in you will be left with one solid lump! 

Finally don't forget the birds, their natural food sources will be running low shortly and they will need all the help they can get so keep those feeders topped up with high energy seed such as Peckish Winter Warmer Food which is specifically designed to be as calorie dense as possible for the winter months. I will be covering bird care and food in a later article as we need to mind our pest control friends!

Sophie x

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