We’re in the heart of winter here in the US and for many, that means snow or at the very least frosty mornings. This can be a particularly trying time for growing plants, as the lack of sunlight and cold can kill even the most well-attended seedling. Not to worry! We’ve come up with an answer. Enter, our winter greenhouse covers. Made from non-permeable, PVC plastic, these covers create the perfect microclimate for propagating and growing during winter. Here are just a few reasons why you might want to consider a Vegepod greenhouse cover for the chilly months ahead.
Perfect for Protecting Your Plants
The Vegepod winter cover, also known as a frost garden cover, or hothouse cover, is made from PVC to help retain heat inside the Vegepod. This creates a greenhouse effect so your plants and seedlings are able to germinate during winter. Specially, designed for Podders in colder climates, the winter garden cover is a great way to carry your plants through the worst of the season. Just make sure you pull the cover off once spring arrives so your plants don’t cook!
Perfect for Propagating
If you enjoy cutting off and growing a bulb of the neighbours ginger - you enjoy ‘propagating’, the act of creating new plants from seeds, cuttings, and bulbs.
Angus Stewart, Vegepod’s resident propagation expert and renowned Australian horticulturalist, has this to say about propagating with the winter cover: “The full plastic cover will provide a higher humidity environment that is seriously helpful for delicate propagation operations, such as fine seeded species or delicate soft tip cuttings.” So if you’re interested in continuing on progatation operations during winter - the Vegepod greenhouse cover, has got you covered.
Perfect for Early or Extended Seasonal Planting
@Dirtandmartinis modelling the first of the USA Winter Garden Covers!
Lastly, the winter cover can be used for early season planting (e.g. winter tomatoes), or for extended seasonal planting (e.g. summer crops until fall). Although it’s too late now to start on winter tomatoes, spring is coming up! If you want delicious spring vegetables early in the season, plant them now with the frost cover.
Pots and Punnets
For spring plantings of tomatoes, eggplants, capsicums, chillies, beetroot, and onions - sow them as seed in punnets or pots during mid-winter with the frost cover. Angus recommends slightly burrowing the pots and punnets into the soil and watering them from below only, so the roots don’t get cold.
How to Use the Winter Greenhouse Cover
@fionagardens in the UK showing off her greenhouse cover on a medium Pod.
To use it, simply sheath the custom cut and hem-sewn cover over the top of the existing Vegepod garden cover. Or, for extreme cold, low-light environments, take off the Vegepod garden cover and replace it altogether with the plastic greenhouse cover. This removes the 17% shade rate supplied by the regular Vegepod garden cover.
