During the winter months, your garden may be susceptible to frost damage if the proper precautions aren’t taken. Your lawn is more vulnerable to damage, as are your potted plants and bedded plants, though they’ll have more protection and insulation from the earth.
Here’s four ways that you can keep your garden protected against frost during the winter months.
Bring potted plants inside
Keep an eye on the weather forecast as the winter months roll in; on nights when frost is forecast, it may be worth moving your potted plants inside, where they’ll be less susceptible to damage. Potted plants do not enjoy the same insulation and protection as in-ground plants, and are therefore particularly vulnerable to frost damage.
Try not to place your plants anywhere too hot straight away, as the temperature change can do more damage than good – move your plants to a garage, shed or greenhouse for best results.
Take it easy on your lawn
Mowing during frosty conditions is not recommended, as most of you are doubtless aware. However, if your lawn is hit by significant frost, avoid walking on it altogether. Footprints or other marks left on frozen, brittle grass can have a lasting impact, and negatively affect the way in which your grass regrows when spring rolls around.
Depending on the layout and dimensions of your garden, wind could cause your lawn significant damage when occurring in frosty conditions. Hedges and building walls can create wind tunnels in your garden, which could strip your lawn of crucial nutrients and moisture needed to help it survive the winter months.
It may be worth setting up windbreakers to help protect your lawn against wintry wind, particularly for narrow stretches of grass that are particularly susceptible to wind patterns; low-level protective barriers may help increase the hardiness of your grass.
Protect bedded plants
It can help to add a physical layer of protection to the vegetable patch, and there are a few ways in which this can be done. Covering your garden plants or shrubs with fleece is a great way to protect them from frost damage. Simply make a tent-like structure around the plant in question with some horticultural fleece, peg into the ground with stakes to create a tent-like covering, and you’re good to go!
Use a cold frame
Using a cold frame is another great way to ensure the regular growth of your plants whilst protecting them from frost and other wintry ailments. A cold frame is a transparent outdoor frame which is placed over your plants, allowing your plants to benefit from sunlight whilst guarding against heavy winds and frost damage.
It’s easy enough to make your own cold frames, and you can do so using recycled materials! There are plenty of guides out there on how to do so; it’s a fun activity that you can enjoy with the kids this winter.