Snow is a good insulator, and protects vegetables in the garden from the cold and frost.
sprouts in snow
To protect vegetables plants from extreme drops in temperature they can be covered with:
cover-soil
cloche
- conifer branches – In Switzerland they cover leeks with conifer branches. The branches will hold the snow off the leek leaves, so that they are not knocked down & squashed by the snow. Warm air pockets will form in the dense conifer branches, which will protect the plants from the frost
- polytunnel
polytunnel
Watch out for pigeons! If the snow settles, and stays for a while, pigeons will come into the garden to feed on the brassicas, like Brussels sprouts. It is safer to net the sprouts, so that the pigeons will be kept off them if they do visit the garden.
Snow protects vegetables in the Garden, and with a little thought the vegetables can be protected from extremes of cold.
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Take precautions to avoid a setback in the garden during a cold spell:
* move tender potted plants inside
* cover delicate plants in the garden with polythene, cloches, old
curtains, conifer branches, horticultural fleece
* delay buying plants
* mulch to keep warmth in soil
Work the soil:
* dry, cold conditions are ideal for cultivating – soil structure
will be maintained
* prepare seed beds, by knocking the soil into small crumbs
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Frost is forecast, and it looks as though we will have some seriously
cold temperatures in the next few days.
Young seedlings are tender, and vulnerable to the frost. At worst, they
will be killed. Otherwise the frost will damage their cells, slow down
their growth, and reduce their potential. They will not yield so much.
Return on effort is one of our guiding principles – so do not allow the
frost to affect potential yield, & reduce the return on all the effort
put in so far.
Protect the plants by covering them over. Use
* polythene sheets
* horticultural fleece
* or similar light materials.
* in Switzerland they use conifer branches, which are placed over
the plants to produce warm air pockets protected from the frost.
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