How to keep your plants warm...on a budget

Creating a warm and budget-friendly environment for your plants can be achieved with some creative solutions. Here are a few ideas to help you keep your plants warm without breaking the bank:

1. DIY Mini Greenhouse:

• Materials:
• Bamboo canes, wooden stakes, cut branches or PVC pipes (whatever you can reuse or repurpose)
• Clear plastic sheeting or old shower curtains
• Zip ties or twine
• Instructions:

1. Create a frame using your chosen stakes (wooden stakes, Bamboo, PVC).
2. Drape clear plastic sheeting over the frame.
3. Secure the plastic with zip ties or twine.
4. Place the mini greenhouse over your plants, providing insulation and trapping heat.
5. Cloches or Row Covers:

• Materials:
• Old plastic bottles (cut in half) or gallon jugs with the bottom removed – think outside the box do you have certain groceries which come in plastic packaging? Can this be reused?
• Old glass cloches or jars
• Instructions:
• Place the cut plastic bottles or glass cloches over individual plants to create a small protective barrier. This helps trap heat and protect plants from cold winds.

3. Cold Frames: These can be really fun to experiment with making, a cold frame is basically a frame with a clear top panel – almost like a very small greenhouse – it can be used to keep plants warm throughout cold weather or plants can be moved into the cold frame on an evening to protect from frosts.

• Materials:
• Old windows or clear plastic panels – I have managed to get free windows from neighbours or online, a lot of people are happy for you to take them!
• Scrap wood or bricks – again speak to neighbours, very often people are happy for you to reuse or repurpose items which they consider ‘rubbish’. One persons trash is another’s treasure, and all!
• Instructions:

1. Create a simple rectangular frame using scrap wood or bricks.
2. Place old windows or clear plastic panels on top to form a lid.
3. Open the lid on sunny days to prevent overheating.
4. Thermal Mass:

• Materials:
• Large containers filled with water
• Instructions:
• Place large containers filled with water near your plants. Water has high thermal mass and can absorb heat during the day, releasing it at night, helping to regulate temperature.

5. Mulching:

• Materials:
• Straw, leaves, or cardboard
• Instructions:
• Apply a thick layer of mulch around the base of your plants to insulate the soil and retain heat – if you have a particularly wet period take care with excessive mulching as this combined with overwatering can lead to very soggy, sad plants.

6. Reuse Materials:

• Materials:
• Old blankets, burlap sacks, or bubble wrap, again think ‘re use’ what do you have around your home that you do not use, old sheets are great as an alternative to shop bought fleece if you are on a budget!
• Instructions:
• Cover your plants with old blankets or burlap sacks during cold nights. Bubble wrap can be used to insulate pots.

Remember to monitor the temperature inside your improvised warming structures to prevent overheating and ensure to provide adequate ventilation during the day to prevent excessive heat buildup. There are so many ways to grow without breaking the bank, I am determined to make vegetable growing accessible and hopefully some of these tips will help you to create a warm space for you growing plants to thrive.