Frost protection

[Odsox]

I cleared out a closed garden centre a few years ago on the understanding that I could keep whatever I wanted. I did keep loads of stuff and one of them was a quantity of frost protection fleece. I've never used it for that purpose and was never really convinced that it's any good, but I've certainly changed my mind now.
As my brand new greenhouse is empty I put a row of early potatoes in one bed back in November and when they forecast frost here last week I covered the plants in a layer of this fleece.
I didn't hold out much hope as the temperature when down to minus 5.5 C on Tuesday night and I check the max/min thermometer and it went down to about -3C in there, so I was pretty sure they would be frosted.

This morning I took the fleece off and was surprised to find them totally unscathed. So I take it all back, that thin gauzey stuff really does work.

Potatoes.jpg (205.34 KiB) Viewed 11494 times

Just to show we really had snow like everyone else, this was my lawn on Thursday morning.....

Snow.jpg (114.94 KiB) Viewed 11494 times

[Green Aura]

Well we've still not had any. It keeps trying but nothing's stuck.

Most of the trees in the polytunnel haven't fared too badly but I forgot to cover the lemon and lime trees with their fleece bag so have they've lost their leaves. We've brought them in and changed the compost so time will tell if they'll recover.

On the upside, the aspidistras which I was certain were dead have new leaves! So I may still be able to honour my promises.

[diggernotdreamer]

I have a massive hoodie made from fleece that fits over my tomato plants when I plant them out, it fits over 5 foot high hoops and is double thickness, we made it a few years ago by stapling the fleece together

[Flo]

Good stuff fleece but not if there's strong wind.