It won’t be long before frosty mornings are upon us. There’s definitely been a nip in the air over the last few mornings here in Cornwall, and no doubt it’s colder in other parts of the country. Here’s a checklist to make sure you protect your plants.
- Harvest any remaining beetroot, carrot and swedes/turnips that you grew over the summer. They will all store well in brown paper bags or hessian sacks.
- Mulch globe artichokes and celeriac.
- You needn’t worry about parsnips, over wintering brassicas, kales and leeks.
- Cover autumn salads and oriental leaves with horticultural fleece (you can just drape it over loosely and secure down at the edges with stones.)
- Bend the outer leaves of cauliflower plants and pull them in over the white, fluffy head, tying them with string to prevent frost from getting to the cauliflower itself.
- Mulch the base of fruit plants.
- Cover empty beds with polythene sheets or cardboard – by protecting the soil from frost you will find it much easier to work with in spring and it’ll be warmer for your seedlings when you plant them too.