Chumasande MatiwaneKeeping plants safe during winter doesn’t need to be expensive. There are several cost-effective and cheap ways to protect plants from frost and snow. With a little creativity, you can reuse and repurpose household items to safeguard your garden from the worst of the weather, all without breaking the bank.
Cheap ways to protect plants
Knowing when to cover plants for frost depends on your location and the winter climate of your zone. Gardeners typically start protecting their plants when they notice frost and strong winds.
1. Using homemade mulch
Mulching is an important job that you should have in your arsenal. Whether it’s summer, autumn or winter. What you might not know is that creating a homemade mulch mound over the base of plants is a tried and tested technique for protecting plants from frost. This approach is most common when learning how to winterise your plants. From tender perennials or young shrubs that have only recently been planted. Mulching saves your plants.
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2. Using straw as a frost covering
Similar to using mulch to protect plants in winter, straw is another cost-effective and versatile option if you are worried about frost and snow. You might have some sacks of straw in the garden that can be used.
You can either use straw to create a windbreak around tender plants or use loose straw to create a natural insulating layer over borders. If you are mounding over roses or other shrubs, it might be a good idea to secure straw in place with garden twine to provide some stability during heavy weather.
3. Repurposing old fabric and sheets
This is one of the most cost-effective ways to protect plants from frost. Put simply, covering plants with old bedsheets, blankets, or even cardboard boxes ahead of cold weather will help to keep frost and snow away from the crown of your plant and minimise damage.
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While you can use purpose-made plant frost cloths, any old material you have in the shed or garage will do. All that is needed is to drape the material over your plants during frosty periods.
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