Insulate your greenhouse

IT is important to get your greenhouse ready for the big chill. Clean the inside and outside and before you fix any type of insulation, replace broken panes of glass and seal gaps with draught excluder. The walls and roof should then be lined with large bubble skinned polythene. This is specially designed for greenhouses and has layers of air trapped in and around the bubbles.

Cosy curtains

Hang a sheet of insulation in the doorway to prevent heat escaping WHILE spraying weed killer, use a golf umbrella to shield healthy plants. every time you open the door. If you can fit all your plants in a small area of the greenhouse, then section part of it off with a curtain of bubble polythene. This will keep one area slightly warmer than the rest.

No pane no gain

Insulate the lower panes of your greenhouse with polystyrene sheets. It is available from builders’ merchants or ask your garden centre if they would let you have the polystyrene plant trays, which often end up in the skip anyway.

Some like it hot

Because heat rises, plants are best positioned on staging rather than on the floor.

Stand the pots on sheets of polystyrene to keep the warmth in the compost. White polystyrene will reflect the light and keep the bench clean.

When a frost is forecast, cover plants with a sheet of horticultural fleece or newspaper.

But remember to remove it in the morning.