November 22nd, 2022 by Sarah Miles

10 things you can do to give your outdoor plants a helping hand

Outdoor perennial plants are pretty hardy, having evolved to resist UK winters. However, as we experience increasingly fluctuating weather patterns and are less inclined to accept natural waste in a bid to be more sustainable, we can employ a few tricks to help our plants through the rigours of winter conditions.

Here are 10 things you can do to protect your outdoor plants this winter:

1. Move anything moveable
   If you have plants in containers and pots that can be moved, consider putting them somewhere that is sheltered from winds and frosts. This could be against a wall or even into a shed or greenhouse.
    
2. Wrap pots up
   If moving containers isn’t an option (either because they’re too heavy or there’s nowhere to move them to), you can still offer them protection by wrapping them in some bubble wrap or horticultural fleece to give them a little insulation. You can also cover the plants with a cloche.
    
3. Add mulch
   Mulch, straw, or chippings, can be layered over the soil in pots or borders to protect the roots from frost (and birds).
    
4. Cover plants
   More delicate plants, such as vegetable seedlings, can be protected by covering them with cloches or cold frames. This will help protect them from cold, snow, and wind but don’t forget to water them.
    
5. Insulate outside structures
   Greenhouses and sheds will provide excellent shelter for plants, but you can give them even more of a helping hand by insulating the space to allow it to retain heat. Line with bubble wrap, polythene, or fleece.
    
6. Create partitions
   If you are only using a small area for plants in your shed or greenhouse, create some partitions by hanging bubble wrap, polythene, or fleece curtains. This helps contain the heat more efficiently.
    
7. Add extra heat to greenhouses
   When it gets really cold, your outdoor buildings will benefit from a little boost of heat. Tubular heaters are designed to take the chill off these spaces and are low-cost to run Maximise their energy efficiency by following the previous two tips.
    
8. Keep topping lawns up with iron sulphate
   Iron sulphate is a nutrient that promotes stronger grass growth. It’s often known as a greening agent but the vibrant green is a lucky by-product of robust, healthy grass and it is this that will help it resist cold and wet conditions. Keep applying every couple of months through the winter. It will absorb best when the ground is soft and wet.
    
9. Avoid walking on frozen grass
   Stay off the lawn when it’s frosty or frozen. Frozen grass blades will just break when weight is applied to them (you will notice that footprints remain for a long time rather than spring back up as they do in summer).
    
10. Brush snow away
    If we get heavy snow that settles, it can cause branches and leaves to sag and snap if allowed to freeze. Brush or knock the snow away before this happens.