Ten top tips to frost proof your greenhouse this winter
As winter approaches, ensuring your greenhouse is frost-proof is essential for protecting your plants and maximising your gardening efforts. Gabriel Ash, the only timber greenhouse supplier approved by the RHS, offers expert insights on how to keep your greenhouse warm and thriving during the colder months. Gabriel Ash is committed to helping gardeners thrive, even in the harshest winter conditions.
Here are top tips to keep your garden and tender plants alive this winter:
1. Monitor Temperature:
Invest in a reliable thermometer to keep track of the internal temperature. This awareness allows you to take necessary precautions, such as activating heaters or adding insulation when temperatures drop to below freezing.
2. Location:
Position your greenhouse to capture maximum sunlight, ideally facing south in the Northern Hemisphere. This helps retain heat throughout the day, even on the darkest of winters.
3. Wind Protection:
Install windbreaks like fences or hedges to shield your greenhouse from cold winds that can lead to heat loss.
4. Enhance Insulation Bubble Wrap:
- Applying horticultural bubble wrap inside the greenhouse adds an extra layer of insulation, especially beneficial during colder months.
- Thermal Curtains: Hang thermal curtains at night to provide additional insulation and retain warmth.
5. Ensure Proper Ventilation:
Good ventilation is crucial to prevent condensation, which can lead to mould. Ensure your greenhouse has vents that can be closed during cold nights to help retain heat.
6. Consider Plant Placement:
Be mindful of cold spots near doors, vents, or uninsulated glass. Frost-sensitive plants should be placed away from these areas, particularly at night when temperatures drop.
7. Heaters and Heating Systems Electric Heaters:
- Small space heaters can maintain a stable temperature, while larger greenhouses may benefit from electric or gas-powered heaters.
- Heat Mats: Ideal for seed starting, heat mats can be placed under pots to prevent soil from freezing.
8. Use Frost Protection Covers Horticultural Fleece:
- Cover vulnerable plants with fleeced uring significant temperature drops to provide an extra layer of insulation while allowing light in.
- Cold Frames: Utilise cold frames within the greenhouse to create microclimates for sensitive plants.
9. Incorporate Thermal Mass Water Barrels or Stones:
- Place large containers of water or stones inside the greenhouse to absorb heat during the day and release it slowly at night, stabilising temperatures.
- Concrete or Brick: Floors or walls made of these materials act as thermal mass, helping to regulate tern perature fluctuations.
10. Don't forget your cold frames and add a layer of insulation on top:
To enhance frost protection, consider placing an additional insulating layer on top of your cold frame during particularly cold nights. You can use materials like old blankets, bubble wrap, or even straw bales. This extra layer traps heat and provides an additional barrier against the cold, helping to maintain a stable temperature inside.
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Juliana Group
Juliana Group is a leading global supplier of quality residential greenhouses. Founded in 1963 by Mogens A. Stærmose in Odense, Denmark, the family-owned company is today run by third generation, Nikolaj Stærmose. Headquarter and production remains Odense-based with subsidiaries in the UK and Germany and export to more than 20 countries.
’We help people grow’. That is why our brands Halls, Juliana, and Gabriel Ash all set the frame for experiences that are as natural as they are magical. Despite our long history, we’re future-focused and curious on how we can improve the sustainability of our greenhouses. Learn more about Juliana and find inspiration for life in the greenhouse in our inspirational universe.
