Gardeners have been issued a warning as snow, ice and freezing rain is forecast across the UK (Image: Getty)
UK households with a garden have been issued a warning as a barrage of wintry weather hammers the country this weekend.
Severe for snow and ice are currently in place for parts of England and Wales, while yellow alerts for cover much of the rest of the UK.
The has warned that up to 40cm of snow could fall in parts of Northern England on Sunday before later turning to freezing and heavy rain further south, accompanied by strong, gusty winds.
UK households are being urged to protect their gardens from stormy conditions and have been warned not to remove any fallen leaves.
:
Heavy snow has battered large parts of the UK this weekend (Image: Getty)
According to gardening experts, fallen leaves should not be cleared away but instead kept on lawns and flower beds in cold, wet and snowy weather. This is because the leaves help to protect the soil from freezing temperatures, acting as an insulator.
Bundles of leaves can also be beneficial for wildlife as they are used as nesting sites during winter, so it is advised that they aren’t tidied away until the weather warms up.
Jamie Shipley, gardening expert and Managing Director of warned: “Although your first thought might be to remove any fallen leaves to tidy up your garden after a storm, the fallen foliage is actually a great heat insulator and will protect soil from becoming frozen in future cold snaps this winter.
“Instead of removing the fallen leaves, I recommend raking them from your lawn and paved areas onto your flower beds.
“It’s a better idea to have a ‘spring clean’ once the weather warms up and clear away the leaves once they’re no longer needed. Wildlife also love leaf bundles as they can use them for nesting sites.”
[WARNING] [ADVICE]
But one gardening task that should be done after the snow and rain has passed is loosening any waterlogged soil.
To do this you should make small holes in your lawn with a garden fork to allow air, water and nutrients to soak into the soil more effectively, and to help reduce any further water logging over the winter.
Mr Shipley adds: “If the roots of your plants are waterlogged following a storm, loosen the soil and aerate it with a pitchfork to allow the water to drain away, being careful not to disrupt the roots.”