Prepping Your Garden for Heavy Rain

Garden Guy Dave Owens explains what you need to do to prepare your garden.

Extending the growing season

With seasons changing and temperatures getting cooler, many people are always trying new methods to help protect their gardens and crops so they last through the winter and provide a strong harvest in the spring.

Using these tools and or techniques will help you moderate the temperatures around your garden and promote growth going into the winter and spring season.

• Cold frames – These are simple to make from scrap lumber or hay bales which use the suns heat to warm the inside, this will allow you to grow cool season vegetables and flowers early in the season and into the winter.

• Garden fabrics – Made from polyester or polypropylene the heaviest of the types provide protection up to 28 degrees while still allowing sunlight, water and air to pass. They can be easily cut to fit any area and provide great protection in all seasons.

• Walls o’ Water – This is a cone-shaped plant cover that fits over individual plants. It holds water and the heat generated from it is used to help the growth for that individual plant.

• Hot caps – These are cones of paper that can be purchased or made out of newspaper that add simple protection to plants against frost.

• Greenhouse umbrella – This is a large plant cover that has transparent plastic sides that get anchored into the ground. It’s not ideal for high-wind areas.

• Grow tunnel – This is the same concept as the garden fabrics except the fabric is laid over chicken wire or hoops and then secured to the ground. While these tunnels seal in the heat, it can be tedious task to raise and lower the sides to help ventilate on warm days.


Dave Owens the Garden Guy
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