Escallonia - whether/when to cover

Hi

I've bought several different types of Escallonia this year. I don't know if they are hardy enough to withstand a north western winter without protection (we were down to -18 last winter).

I have the following types:

- Escallonia Iveyi (border)
- Escallonia Pride of Donard (one in border, two in containers)
- Escallonia Laevis (not sure if Gold Ellen or Gold Brian - in containers).

I don't want to risk losing them so was thinking I should cover them in horticultural fleece at least for the first couple of winters. Is this the right thing to do?

If I do cover them, when do I do it? Do I leave the fleece on all winter or do I take it off when it's milder and if I do leave them on when do I take them off? Do I continue to water them during dry spells?

Thanks in advance for your help :thumb:

 

Hi Merleworld I'm not to far from you really. I have escallonia hedging and last year it suffered slightly, we had two to three weeks of low temperatures (no snow) which knocked them back a bit, with leaves turning yellow and dropping. It didn't seem to affect the main body of the shrub and has recovered completely this summer with new growth.......talking of which, it needs cutting back at the moment.

Being as you have some in containers I would be inclined to cover those completely as they don't have as much root protection, a greenhouse would be better if possible.

The ones in the border should be okay, but if you start to see yellowing of the leaves and are worried then cover them. I have never covered mine, being quite hardy.

Water them when they have dried out. The ones in the border should be able to hold their own next year once the root system is further down. Escallonia can deal with drought once they are established.

 

Thanks both

I was planning on insulating the containers with bubble wrap as well, so they are nice and cosy. I've got a few other young plants in containers which I may protect if the weather gets too nasty so will apply the same principle to them.

I do have a greenhouse but it isn't big enough to hold all the containerised plants cos I use it as a garden shed so it's got all my bits and bobs in.

Thanks again

 

Last years very hard winter killed two well established Escallonia on me (maybe 20 years old?). One of them I dug out completely and made the considerable space into a new flower bed. The other I cut back to ground level and it is now a good three feet high and taking on a great shape
So ... even if they are hit by a particularly cold winter, they will probably still recover

 

I've heard a number of gardening friends say that their established ones have suffered.

The 'Gold' Ellens and Brians aren't as hardy though and they'll make hard work of the extreme cold.

I mentioned earlier on about fleecing only working if the temps don't drop below minus 5, so be aware of that too.

 

We have two escallonias, one very large which was here when we moved in, and one we planted three years ago. Neither has shown any sign of distress through two very cold and snowy winters in our high and very exposed garden. Mine are in the ground, though, not containers.