Weather
All parts of the UK are likely to start off on Friday and Saturday with light winds and scattered showers. Starting Sunday a rather cold but bright note, with some sunshine will be with us. However, some showers are likely to pepper northern and eastern coasts. These will be wintry over high ground and possibly to low levels in the far northeast. A brisk northerly wind will accentuate the cold feel. Overnight frost will be widespread, especially in the north from Sunday onwards. Towards the middle of next week, an area of rain and stronger winds may move southeast across much of the UK, bringing a brief less cold spell, before a resumption of the cold northerly airflow with further wintry showers. If you haven’t sown and planted outdoors up to now you will have missed the opportunity maybe with a chance to catch up towards the weekend of 22. & 23. Nov. Concentrate on tending your indoor plants and maybe even cover them in unheated greenhouses with a fleece.
We had exceedingly warm weather with very mild nights for the time of year all through end of October and beginning of November throughout the British Isles.
As temperatures will plummet from Sunday onward with danger of air and ground frost.
I have a few tips how to protect your crops from frost:
1 I suggest you make sure you harvest this weekend all your tender and half-hardy annuals and root and tuber crops and store them in a cool and dark place.
Harvest outdoor and indoor Tomatoes and Cucumbers, all your Squash, Pumpkins, Courgette, Sweet Corn and Beans (hang up green Tomato trusses in a warm place or make chutney)
2 If you can’t do the harvesting of your tender or half hardy annuals this weekend, I suggest you take 1 liter of lukewarm water and 5 drops of Valerian preparation for every 100m2 and stir the water for 10-15 minutes and spray your sensitive, tender annuals and warmth loving crops every evening you might expect an air or ground frost, sprinkling the garden and your plants or spraying them with the help a knapsack sprayer in bigger gardens.
3 A traditional method of preventing frost is not so pleasant.
Make a hot fire with dry wood and burn on it green prunings or moist leaf rakings in the late afternoon.With this type of smoldering fire you create an acrid smoke with lots of steam (smog), leaving behind a misty, foggy layer of air over your area, which will keep the warmth in and the cold out.
Tip 2&3 will prevent frost damage on half hardy annuals with temperatures down to
-5 degree centigrade.
4 With milder autumn weather returning possibly end of next week, you could also make sure that you cover your crops.
A very economical way is, putting up hoops with ½ “ blue water piping and a high quality,
UV resistant polytunnel sheet, which is stretched tightly over your hoops.
Alternatively, cover crops with an extra thick (35gsm), heavy duty horticultural fleece, that will help your tender annuals, just like a cold frame or unheated polytunnel/greenhouse would do. Make sure you secure the plastic covers with pegs, heavy, smooth rocks or sandbags.
Tip 4 helps half hardy annuals to grow longer and encourage hardy annuals to grow throughout the winter months, if the winter is not too severe.
The disadvantage is that these materials, which are just held down by rocks or sandbags, often get damaged by the wind and if not tight enough also can damage the crops.
5 For more lasting and even more effective protection from frosts and low temperatures the best solution would be to create cold frames and build a polytunnel/greenhouse.
I trust you will find your best solution for your environment and situation both for short and long term.
Next time, I will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of different materials to cover your crops.
Happy autumn musing and may your inner light shine strongly
Hans-Günther
FYI: Be aware of next free masterclass on dynamic garden layout, infrastructure and tools coming up on Tuesday 18. November 7:30pm. Book @ www.whlu.org with code: WHLU
