Prepare winter protection

Get greenhouses and coldframes set for winter, says Ruth

- Ruth Hayes

THERE’S a definite sense of impending autumn now, and while temperatures are still mild here in the south, the nights are increasingly chilly and further north the cold may really be starting to bite.

It’s time to start clearing greenhouses, cold frames, and mini greenhouses to get them ready for their winter guests, the tender perennials and bulbs, seedlings, and cuttings that need to be kept in a frost free environment for the next few months.

Our coldframe and mini greenhouse have only been used sporadically through summer, but the greenhouse has been a nursery for courgettes, chillies, and tomatoes so it needs a clear-out and cleaning before the new plants go in.

Compost the spent plants that are healthy and not affected by diseases such as powdery mildew and if you have used grow bags, empty the compost onto garden beds.

It won’t contain many nutrients after a summer of growing, but it will help improve the condition of the soil if you dig it in, or pile it on the surface for the winter weather to break down. If you have soil beds in the greenhouse, weed well and nourish them with well-rotted compost and manure