If you’ve already planted out then be sure to watch out for those dreaded late frosts. We had one last week, and no doubt there will be a couple more.
You can protect plants with horticultural fleece and cloches. Horticultural fleece is a very fine material that allows sunlight and water in whilst keeping pests out. It also acts as a lovely cosy duvet for your plants, keeping a little warmth in and providing a barrier between your plants and Jack Frost. All you need to do is drape it loosely over a row or bed of plants and secure it at the corners and edges with a few large stones. Alternatively, you can easily make a homemade cloche by cutting the tops off plastic milk bottles and jamming them upside down in the soil over seedlings to make a mini greenhouse for your plants.
If you’re growing in pots and containers, then it’s really good to bring them in under cover in the evenings. Pop them inside a greenhouse or porch, or even put them in the garden shed overnight.
Don’t forget to close greenhouse doors and windows as well to keep those plants protected too. It’s surprising how frost can get in!
If you’re receiving plants this week, you can always plant them temporarily in growbags undercover for a couple of weeks until the warm weather settles in properly. Simply cut a large rectangular hole in the top of the grow bag, make a small hole in the compost with a trowel or your hands and pop the plants in. You can put them quite close together for a week or so, no problem. Don’t forget to water them though!