Monty Don tells gardeners to 'invest' in two essentials before first frost hits
The Met Office has confirmed that the first widespread overnight frosts are set to hit areas across the UK this week as the colder weather makes a return, so it might be time to dig the woolly jumpers and hot water bottles once again.
While we prepare ourselves for the chillier months, it's also important to ger your garden ready for the blustery cold weather too - especially if you want to protect your plants ready for next year.
Gardeners' World expert Monty Don has urged people to invest in two essential items to give their garden the best chance of surviving before the frost kills off garden plants as the cold weather sweeps in.
When plants are hit with frost, it causes the water in the cells to freeze, resulting in the plants dying. To prevent this from happening, the gardening expert said his recent newsletter: "If you do not already possess them, invest in horticultural fleece and some cloches. The point is that these are only useful if you have and employ them before you need them and there is no guarantee that there will not be a hard frost in October."
"Cloches are very good for rows of vegetables, keeping them dry as well as warm (although I always leave the ends open – happy to trade some heat for some ventilation) and fleece is the best temporary protection against frost, either laid out over small plants or draped over shrubs and bushes."
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As well as investing in fleeces and cloches, Monty also had words of advice for those with terracotta plant pots. He warns people to either bring them inside or to wrap them up in hessian or bubble wrap for insulation. This is because "terracotta absorbs water, so during a hard frost any wet soil inside will expand and can cause the pot to crack," Chronicle Live reports.
The pro further advised gardeners to bring tender plants under a cover before the frost hits too. This includes bananas, salvias, citrus, pomegranates, olives, pelargoniums, succulents, fuchsias, eucomis and hedychium.
Added advice from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) suggests covering the roots of evergreens, conifers, tender shrubs and tender perennials with a "thick layer of organic matter to prevent the ground becoming frozen" and also warns that "plants exposed to early morning sun may thaw too rapidly after a frost, causing damage to flowers and young growth. Camellia and magnolia flowers in particular can be ruined by a single frost."
You can buy garden fleece on Amazon, and their best-selling product is available in measurements of 2mx10m for £15.99, with the option to choose different sizes. A pack of 10 garden cloches is also available from Amazon for £26.99 along with plant labels and securing pegs, while the bestselling mulch can be purchased for £23.60 for two 9kg bags.
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