I’m a gardening expert…my simple t-shirt trick can save your plants
A GARDENING whizz has revealed a genius t-shirt hack that promises to save your plants from frost.
Although the weather has been a bliss in the recent weeks, there are still chances of frosty mornings this month – which is bad news for avid gardeners.
Luckily, an expert spoke to The Express and shared a trick that will help the delicate plants fight the colder temperatures.
Louise Findlay-Wilson, who runs gardening blog Blooming lucky, explained how a simple t-shirt hack can save your garden and prevent all the hard work from being destroyed.
”Remember that there could still be some frosts in April,” she reminded.
”So keep an eye on the weather, and if an overnight frost is forecast, protect your sweet peas with some horticultural fleece or if you don’t have that, something like a soft old T-shirt or jumper will do.”
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The whizz also shared what fellow gardening enthusiasts should be doing this weekend or when it gets sunnier.
”With the weather and soil warming a little, there’s a real opportunity to get out in the garden this weekend and do some planting.
“For instance, if you sowed sweet pea seeds in October and over-wintered them indoors, you could plant them out now,” Louise said.
“They’re hungry plants so it’s a good idea to put them in a bed or container that’s enriched with well-rotted manure.
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“Of course give them something to grow up against such as a wigwam of canes,” she explained.
Other plants that can be planted now are the stunning daffodils and crocuses.
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“If you’ve containers of daffodils or crocuses which have finished flowering, and you now want to free up the pots for something else, rather than throw away the spent bulbs, why not plant them out in your garden.
“Take care to keep the bulbs’ roots and leaves intact when you do this, and after planting them out, water them, perhaps with a liquid feed, so that the leaves feed the bulb.”
However, when it comes to the crocus flowers , there’s no need to worry – the expert claimed these will melt away naturally.
She continued: ”I’d also remove the daffodils’ dead flowerhead by cutting/snapping them off.”
Doing do, she explained, will allow the plant to ”concentrate its efforts on the bulb rather than on producing a seed head, helping to ensure a lovely display in your garden next year”.
The gardening enthusiast noted that as the soil reaches warmer temperatures avid gardeners can also sow hardy annuals – these include nigella, sunflowers and poppies.
She explained: “Make sure the area where you’re planting them is well raked to remove any lumps or stones.
”This feels like a faff but it’s well worth it because these tiny seeds once germinated only have just enough energy stored in them to push through the soil’s surface and produce leaves.
”With barriers in their way – such as clumps of soil or stones – they may never get to this point!”
Those who have access to a greenhouse or a sunny window ledge can also, according to Loise, sow some half-hardy flowers indoors in seed trays.
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“Nemesia will be great for patio pots or for something taller try the soft pretty cosmos or if you want flowers which look a bit more exotic try zinnias and cleome.
”So get gardening.”