Winter proofing tender plants

Those of us gardeners lucky enough to own a greenhouse are probably thinking of winter -proofing about now.  I use mine for keeping cuttings in and storing tender container plants like Salvias, Cannas and Agapanthus.  Maintaining the internal temperature above freezing is therefore crucial.

Time and enthusiasm permitting, the glass gets cleaned to maximise winter light levels, undesirables are evicted and the gubbins that collects over the summer is tidied up.

Heating a greenhouse in winter can be extremely expensive so I rely on low tech, ‘environmentally friendly’, solutions. I line the interior with bubble wrap and then install my heaters.  These are two lidded black dustbins filled to the brim with water.  These act as passive solar heaters keeping frost at bay.  Another cheap solution which I have yet to try is to put grass cuttings in black bags which, as they rot down, release heat.  Please let me know if this works.  In very severe weather all the plants are covered with fleece for an extra layer of protection.  I find it very important on milder days to open the doors to get some air movement to help prevent grey mould and fungal diseases.

It’s a well-known maxim that whatever size your greenhouse it’s never quite big enough, so extra storage solutions have to be found.  Succulents, orchids and ferns which have holidayed outside during the summer are brought into the house to decorate windowsills.  Sempervivens in containers which can tolerate cold but not cold and wet are put in the cold frame. Various non hardy summer bulbs such as Colocasia and Begonias are dried off and brought inside to store in the scullery.  These are then promptly forgotten about and only rediscovered in the spring when green shoots appear from their brown paper bags.

Another autumn job, for me at least with a cold garden,  involves lifting the dahlias after the first frost has blackened their foliage.  I wash the tubers and dry them on a rack in the garage for a week or two by which time all the labels will have got mixed up!  Each tuber is then wrapped in several layers of newspaper and packed into boxes which are stacked onto a table and draped with a blanket for winter warmth.

Roll on winter now with time to drool over seed catalogues and plan for next year.

Happy gardening

Nicky Pratt

The MUWAGA  October talk is ‘Mistletoe – Fact, Myth, Legend?

Dr Mike Jones

A returning speaker much enjoyed by members