How can I keep soil safe during winter?

I’ve got a bare patch of soil. How can I keep it protected over winter?

Jill, farnham, surrey

If your bare patch of land is awaiting new sowings, you need to keep the soil warm for successful germination later on while suppressing weeds. It will also protect the soil’s fertility from being depleted from winter rain and frost. Use thick sheets of black polythene and keep them in place with large stones, rocks or bricks. cold, you may want to have some heat in the greenhouse – either paraffin or a small electric heater.

It’s not too late to take steps to insulate your greenhouse as well, with bubble plastic or sheet plastic to create a double-glazed effect on the windows.

Taking sensitive plants and moving them into those positions plays a big part in keeping them worry-free for winter.

If you haven’t got a greenhouse, use an unheated part of your home.

This may be a garage with a window, so there is still some light, or a low-heated porch or conservatory.

iT’s a wrap

The other option is that you can fleece the plants to supply them with an extra layer of protective clothing.

Buy horticultural winter fleece off the roll – it almost looks like white spider’s webbing all joined together and works the same way as layers of clothing work for us, trapping the air in to keep us cosy. You can buy fleece from most garden centres and DIY stores. Wrap it generously around your sensitive plants.

It’s particularly good if you have things like standard fuchsias, palms or Canna lilies – just cover the vegetation and fix in place.

With sensitive or herbaceous plants, like tree ferns, you can actually stuff a little bit of straw to the heart of