The best plant covers to protect your garden from frost

During the colder months there's always a chance that frost will form, making paths slippy, water frozen and endangering our planting. Stop the negative temperatures from destroying all the work you've put into your garden by making sure you know the best plant covers for winter.

Throughout cold and frosty days in your outdoor space, you need to be thinking about season-specific winter gardening ideas to make sure you're giving your plants everything they need.

'If the plant is slightly vulnerable, the pot may need protection to possibly prevent the pot from cracking but more importantly the roots of the plant,' warns Mark Sage, managing director of Marshalls Gardens. 

Part of the process of overwintering, there are various winter plant protection covers out there. Our gardening experts say these are the best ones to use to give your garden the strongest chance of survival comes rain, frost or snow.

The best plant covers for winter

‘Generally, you should start thinking about covering plants for winter before the first frost hits,’ says Jack Sutcliffe, co-founder of shed manufacturer, Power Sheds. ‘It's beneficial to protect more delicate plants when temperatures start dropping below freezing or when there's a forecast for extreme cold weather.’

Keep an eye on the weather forecast and when the thermometers are hitting around 0ºC you should have your covers on or, at least, ready to go. Now let's find out what exactly we should be using as plant covers for winter...

1. Horticultural fleece

Horticultural fleece is quite a versatile plant cover, perfect for protecting an olive tree in winter as well as tomatoes or dahlias. 

'Use horticulture fleece/fleece jackets as these are made of a specialist material that will allow daylight through during the day to avoid the plant being covered up and in the dark,' explains Gavin Shaw, category manager at Marshalls Gardens.

'Fleece jackets are available in different sizes and often with clips and ties to ensure a snug fit and not to be blown off by the wind,' continues Mark from Marshalls. 'They can also be fitted on and off quickly so don’t need to be in place all the time.  As soon as you see its going to be cold you can quickly whip out and protect those vulnerable plants.'

'The more traditional way is to wrap the plants with dry straw and then cover with a plastic bag, but I much prefer the modern fleeces as they are so quick and easy and save me picking straw up for months around the patio!'

‘This is great for frost-sensitive plants such as tomatoes, peppers, fuchsias, dahlias, canna lilies or begonias,' adds Steve Chilton, garden expert at LeisureBench.

2. Mulch

One of the best ways to protect your plants is with mulch - it seals warmth, moisture and keeps the roots nicely protected. You can use specialist mulch, compost, soil, wood chippings or even leaves.

‘One of the garden's most adaptable plant protection techniques is mulch,’ agrees Jack. ‘Applying a thick layer of mulch around the base of plants helps to insulate the soil, maintain moisture, and protect the roots from freezing temperatures.’

3. Burlap wrap

Burlap is a natural, breathable material that’s perfect for wrapping around young trees, shrubs and perennials to protect plants from frost.

‘Burlap or frost cloth helps provide insulation and protection against freezing temperatures while allowing some light and air to penetrate,’ advises Jack from Power Sheds.  

'Old onion sacks or hessian is a great option too,' adds Mark from Marshalls.

4. Sheets

In a pinch, grab some old bed sheets and head out into the garden. 'When choosing materials to cover your plant, lightweight materials are best,' explains Andrew White, garden expert at Rhino Greenhouses Direct. 

'We recommend covering plants with materials such as burlap, as it is a natural breathable option for the plant, however we understand that not every household has burlap lying around, therefore old bed sheets and pillowcases also make great covers for plants.'

'If you have a row of plants needing protection you could always use a piece of fabric such as an old bed sheet to place on top for cover,' suggests Chris Bonnet, founder of Gardening Express.

5. Bubble wrap

The benefits of plant covers lay in their ability to insulate the plant in question, and few things are as insulating as bubble wrap.

'Environmentally friendly bubble wrap is a go to option, but you can use just about anything,' advises gardener Sarah Raven. 'I always make sure to wrap the pots too, as they can crack if it gets too cold.'

Your greenhouse can benefit from a little wrapping, too. ‘Greenhouse bubble wrap works as an insulating layer so that your greenhouse retains more heat than it otherwise would,’ says Jack from Power Sheds.

6. Cloches

‘An upturned basket or a metal or bamboo cloche will help keep the wind and rain off smaller plants that are young, tender or vulnerable to being eaten,’ advises Fiona Jenkins, gardening expert at MyJobQuote.co.uk. ‘These are great for things like strawberries, winter veggies and roses.’

If the frosts approaching and you can't get to the shops and even Prime would take too long, you can create some makeshift alternatives. 'A few little hacks could include drinks and milk bottles,' suggests Mark from Marshalls. 'Cut the bottoms off and push into the ground over smaller plants.'

'It’s also worth upturning flower pots to keep them covered,' adds Chris from Gardening Express.

FAQs

So with just a little effort you can ensure that your plants stay unaffected from frost and make it through to spring without hassle.