Live in the UK or certain parts of Europe? Cold icy blasts could be destroying garden plants all over… if the correct measures are not taken. This can be heart breaking to the home gardener… who’s spent time, effort and money into a project like a vegetable garden. If the weather gets too cold, it can freeze the water cells inside the plant… causing them to expand, once the sun reheats the plant, the cell then ruptures, killing the plant. We have formulated a few quick and easy steps to warm plants during this horrifyingly cold spell.Protect potted plants
if potted plants are used in the garden, make sure to only use plastic pots… this is due to plastic taking the cold better than clay or stone that may crack. Keeping potted plants outside in freezing temperatures isn’t ideal, however there are ways to insulate the plant more. Wrap the pot in bubble wrap or horticultural fleece, then dig a hole into the ground and place the pot inside the hole, then refill the hole… this will insulate the plant a great deal.Apply mulch to plants Mulch acts as an insulator… holding heat and moisture, which is needed in this cold weather. The easiest way to do this is to use mulch made from wheat or pine straw, this is because it is easier to remove after winter plus it works well as an insulator. This method needs to be done right, certain plants like strawberries or roses won’t cool down in time for spring if too much is used.Bring exotic plants insideExotic plants just won’t survive outside, one of the only solutions for them is to bring them inside to the warm. Exotic plants prefer warm moist places with access to light, so try putting them in a bathroom or laundry room.Grow plants that flower in springIf you want to have healthy and pretty plants, it might be better to plant bulbs such as daffodils, day lilies or tulips, during the early winter so that by the end of winter, beginning of spring, they will flower.
