Winter can be a tough time for the garden, with wet weather and cold temperatures providing challenging conditions for plants, shrubs and flowers.

To ensure gardens and their dormant plants are well taken care of during the tough cold months ahead, there are plenty of ways gardeners can ‘winterise’ their outdoor spaces.

As one of the UK's biggest wholesale garden suppliers, we have highlighted products retailers should stock up on in order to increase sales during a time which is traditionally quieter for the gardening industry, ensuring that by the time spring rolls around, gardens can beautifully bloom.

Lay a frost fleece

Horticultural fleece, also known as frost fleece, is an insulating material used to cover plants, shrubs, trees and crops through late autumn, winter and spring. The primary purpose of plant fleece is as frost protection for plants and for any shrubs, trees and crops vulnerable to cold weather damage. Basically, it keeps them warm and protected from the persistent and damaging elements of winter.

Product pick: Ambassador Frost Fleece (605770)

Features:

-       Lightweight and strong
-       Provides a natural barrier against birds and insects
-       Porous material allows direct watering
-       Warms the soil and retains moisture

Build a cold frame

Although predominantly used in spring months, cold frames can help winterise a garden space. A cold frame is a transparent-roofed low to the ground enclosure, used to protect plants from adverse weather, primarily excessive cold or wet. The transparent top admits sunlight and prevents heat escaping, helping to create a safe space to nurture plants.

Install a greenhouse heater

Heating is used to provide optimal temperatures for crop growth and for management of the humidity in the greenhouse. As outside temperatures dip in winter months, it becomes harder for greenhouses to stay warm – this is why greenhouse paraffin heaters are needed to keep tender plants warm.

Product pick: Ambassador Hanging Paraffin Heater (106328)
 
The most basic methods of heating a greenhouse, we only recommend using a paraffin heater when your greenhouse is in a remote location where there is no access to a power point – such as at your allotment.

Insulate the greenhouse too

As well as buying a heater, there are also several ways to winterise a greenhouse with different methods of insulation.

These include:
- Adding a layer of bubble wrap to each panel
- Sealing cracks, replacing broken panes and ensuring vents and doors fit snugly
- Renewing seals on doors and ventilators
- Screening off part of the greenhouse with polythene and battens to limit the area to be kept heated is possible

Take care of gardening tools and equipment

Cold and wet weather can play havoc with metal garden tools, causing rust and other damaging issues which can often warrant them unusable by the time spring comes around. To help nurture your gardening equipment as well as your plants, spray them with a light layer of WD-40 to minimise rusting.

Product pick: WD-40 Smart Straw 450ml (358276)

Will the unseasonably hot autumn effect my garden?

Although the summer months were a washout of below average temperatures, October was one of the hottest on UK records, with “unseasonably warm” temperatures peaking at 27 degrees in isolated spots.

While some people enjoy warmer weather when it’s supposed to be cold, for plants the fickleness of mother nature can be extremely confusing.

So can warm winter weather affect garden plants?

When trees and shrubs break dormancy, they may push out flower buds or new shoots for branches. This can be a problem when a warmer snap comes and cold weather then returns, as those buds and branches will likely die off in the cold weather. Fruit trees in particular may have their spring fruiting ability affected by extremely cold weather after warm temperatures. 

Bugs normally killed off by cold weather also survive, feasting and causing damage to plants. Normally, during cold winters harmful insects and their eggs are killed off in great numbers with just a few surviving through until spring.

These insects hide in tree bark, the grass of your lawn, leaf piles and more. Mild winters mean there are more resources available for pests to consume, leading to the numbers of bugs able to cause damage is higher.

For all your wholesale garden supplies, head to your local Stax branch today or browse online at www.staxtradecentres.co.uk.