Winter workout

Winter is on its way, so make sure any areas where you store plants under cover are up to the task, says Bob

- Bob Flowerdew

WHETHER it involves coldframes, a greenhouse or the windowsill, many of us have plants we want to get through the winter. The most obvious threat is the cold. Frost can kill many of our plants (due to ice crystals bursting their tissues) so we have them under cover where frost can be kept at bay with insulation and maybe added warmth.

This works fine, but there is one drawback. Being undercover can reduce already weak sunlight by much more. And our plants need as much light as possible, just to survive. This means all glass and plastic must be cleaned. Any dirt or smears will reduce light by about half, so clean thoroughly, and often. Ideally, get some LED growing lights to brighten up their day – these are no more expensive to run than ordinary lights and do help.