While winter can still seem quite far off some days, we are nearly in October, and for us where we live, that means that we are likely to experience the first frosts in around a month to two months time. It can vary quite a lot. Sometimes our first frosts are in late October, sometimes we don’t see them until the end of November.
Of course, when you can expect frosts will vary considerably depending on where you live. But if you live in an area where frosts are expected, now is a good time for many to start thinking about taking on projects to aid winter growing and keep plants safe.
I recently wrote this article about Ways to Protect Plants from Frost. This was written for a UK readership, but might also be useful to newer gardeners elsewhere.
Garden projects can take a bit of time, so it does not hurt to think about this topic a while before the coldest weather actually arrives.
You might think about making or buying a greenhouse or polytunnel, for example, which will mean some work to get things ready and construct your new undercover growing area. You might pop in a cold frame in a smaller space, or cover plants with smaller cloches or row covers.
You might think about improving an undercover growing area to help keep it frost free in winter. By adding thermal mass, or even sustainable heating where this is required.
Another key thing to think about now is whether you might decide to order bare-root trees or shrubs to create more a sheltered microclimate for your garden, or a certain part of it.
If you would like a design to help you create a garden with a sheltered micro-climate, or need some help or advice in preparing your garden for winter or growing year round, please do get in touch.
EWSP Consultancy 