Top Tips for Winter Plant Protection

With a little preparation and some frost protection essentials there’s no reason your plants can’t thrive this winter.


As shorter days & colder nights approach, take some time to prepare to protect your outdoor plants from the first frost. Try to move any smaller or potted plants to sheltered spots. A Frost Protection Jacket will also provide your plants with further protection.

Our specially designed plant frost jacket is made from extra thick material to protect against temperatures as low as -8°C, but still permeable enough by air, light and moisture to ensure healthy plant growth. The winter sun will warm the air inside the jacket, which will also retain any heat.

Protecting Larger Plants from Frost

For those of you growing fruit trees, palm trees or cordylines, Gardening Fleece, also known as a horticultural fleece, is a highly effective form of plant frost protection. Wrapping garden fleece around the crown and trunk is ideal for protecting it from the bitter winds and harsh cold whilst allowing the plant to absorb water and nutrients for healthy growth.


Without sufficient frost protection, the water inside your plants’ cells will freeze overnight, damaging the cell walls. When the sun rises in the morning, the suns warmth will quickly defrost the cells and risk rupturing the cell walls altogether. This can take its toll on your plants gradually, or the shock could rupture the cell walls instantly.

Top Frost Protection Tip!

Brick walls will help to shield your plants from the harsh winter winds and, more importantly, absorb heat during the day, releasing it overnight, providing further heating for any nearby plants; making this an ideal spot to relocate prized plants. For additional frost protection our Gardening Angels love this clever Wall mounted Greenhouse.

If possible, you should position your plants at a higher point in your garden as it will minimise damage from sinking cold air. Whilst hearty foliage will not need to be covered, should you experience any snowfall, try to keep as much snow as possible off the branches as the extra weight can cause damage over time.

Propagation During Winter

Provide seedlings with added protection from cold weather with a heated propagator, perfect for creating a frost free growing growing environment, encouraging your seedlings & young plants to flourish in a safe, temperature controlled miniature greenhouse.

If your using a Vitopod Heated Propagator, plan ahead and add add extra layers to this height adjustable propagator. Perfect for keeping mature, taller plants frost free over winter until outside temperatures begin to increase again and ideal for giving your plants extra room to grow!



If you would like to find out more about frost protection or propagation, feel free to give us a call on 0845 602 3774 or drop us an email at info@greenhousesensation.co.uk. Our Gardening Angels are always happy to help and we’d love to hear about how you get on this winter!

How to get the Best from an Electric Propagator

An electric heated propagator provides the ideal growing environment to give your seeds and cuttings the best possible head start.

If you’re using a height adjustable propagator such as our Award Winning Vitopod Propagator, you can add extra layers to create your own mini greenhouse. Perfect for keeping taller plants frost free over winter and giving seeds and cuttings extra time and space to grow.

Read our Gardening Angels top tips on how to get the best out of your heated propagator.

Optimum Temperature Settings

Ensure the best possible growth by setting your heated propagator to the right temperature for what you are growing. The temperatures required for each plant can vary depending on what seeds you are propagating, so always check the seed packets for any suggested growing temperatures.

We would recommend setting the Vitopod’s thermostatic control for 20˚C, as this will generally provide the ideal temperature for the majority of propagated plants. This way, you can, for example, grow chillies and tomatoes at the same time, without the risk of either seed being cooked.


When growing your own chilies, your seeds will benefit from temperatures between 25-30˚C for germination. Once germinated, set the temperature around 18-24˚C in the daytime and lower to 15-18˚C at night to ensure consistent growth.

Tomato growers will want to set their propagator for 22-30˚C when germinating, then adjust to 16-22˚C during the day and 14-16˚C overnight for optimum growth. Generally, most other vegetables will require temperatures around 15-20˚C.

Controlling Humidity in Your Propagator

Humidity can be a real problem in a heated propagator so watch out for a build-up of condensation which can cause young plants to rot and die off. If you see condensation running down the sides of your propagator, open the vents or remove the lid to allow excess heat to escape. If you do remove the lid, remember to replace it overnight!

Do I Need to Use Gravel or Sand?

If you’re using a Vitopod Heated Propagator to propagate your seeds and cuttings, heat is distributed evenly throughout the base of your propagator so there is no need to use sand or gravel.

Some propagators do not provide even heat across their base. This is essential when ensuring even growth in your propagator, so if you do not have a Vitopod, you may want to consider lining the base of your propagator with either gravel or sand. This will allow the heat to be spread evenly through your propagators base. If you don’t even out the heat you may find some of your seeds may germinate faster than others and your seed trays may dry out faster.

Do I Need to Use Capillary Matting?

Rather than watering from above, some gardeners prefer to place a wet capillary mat below their plants, allowing them to absorb the water from below. This can be done with the Vitopod propagator, however keep an eye out for any humidity issues and be careful not to over-water your plants.

Watering Seedlings

Young seedlings will not require a great deal of water, but you still don’t want them to dry out. Monitor moisture levels using a moisture meter and ensure your seedlings receive the right level of watering. Ideally, you should aim to keep the soil moist but should not see any surface water.

Providing Light for Your Seedlings

If seedlings don’t get the light they need, they develop long and skinny stems that are unable to support the plant’s growth. This will lead to your plants being increasingly susceptible to disease and pests whilst failing to provide a great harvest. To increase your plant’s exposure to light, move your propagator to a sunny windowsill or greenhouse.

Keeping Your Propagator Clean

At the start and end of the sowing season ensure you have cleaned your Vitopod Electric Propagator, seed trays and pots before adding any new plants. By using a biodegradable soap, you can keep everything neat and tidy whilst helping to prevent the spread of any plant diseases.



There are many different ways you can utilise the Vitopod Electric Propagator, so if you have any questions about setting up the propagator or any tips from your experience, feel free to call us on 0845 602 3774 or email us at info@greenhousesensation.co.uk. Our Gardening Angels are always happy to help and love hearing your propagation success stories!

Overwintering in a Heated Propagator

Protect your favourite plants from frosts this winter and overwinter healthy plants and cuttings in a heated propagator.

What is Overwintering?

Overwintering is the process of providing a safe environment for your plants, ensuring they survive over winter. A heated propagator, such as the Vitopod Heated Propagator, provides the heat and protection your plant needs to survive.

With large vents for humidity control, you can place the Vitopod Propagator inside your greenhouse, its clear sides and lid allowing your plants to take full benefit from the available light. By adding extra layers to the Vitopod, you can accommodate for taller plants.

Why Overwinter my Plants

Overwintering gives plants will get a head start when the daylight increases in February and start growing your favourite fruit and vegetables earlier.

You can expect an earlier harvest of bumper crops from any overwintered plants as the start leads to an extended growing season. Plus, by protecting your fragile plants from the elements, overwintering could be considered as additional plant frost protection.

What to Overwinter

Overwintering is perfect for tomato and chilli growers, so prepare your plants for the move to a heated propagator. For more information on overwintering chillies, read our guide by clicking here.

Ornamental plants, such as fuchsias or geraniums, can also be overwintered. This is a great cost-cutting measure as you can keep your beautiful flowers going for replanting in the spring. This is an ideal way to protect your ornamental plants from frosts, ready for taking cuttings for the next season.

Our Gardening Angels like to use a Hydropod cuttings propagator for increased cuttings success rates. The Hydropod reduces the risk of damping-off, drying-out and fungal infections and helps to speed up growth.

When to Start Overwintering

You can typically start overwintering when night time temperatures drop significantly, which is normally around the end of October.

Prepare your Plants for Overwintering

If you are an allotment grower, you will notice the ground is starting to frost over. By using a frost protection fleece to cover any rooted plants, you can keep them protected until they move to the propagator.

Before moving your plants to the propagator, trim back branches to around 10cm and harvest as much as you can. Chillies and tomatoes can be ripened off plant if necessary. By removing branches, foliage and fruit, your plant will require less energy to keep going and will be more likely to survive the winter.

If you are overwintering any plants grown in planters, carefully dig them out and repot them. Try to remove any loose compost and repot with fresh compost. You could also consider trimming back the roots on your plants and moving to smaller pots as this allows the plant to reserve and focus its energy.

Caring for Overwintered Plants

Once your plants have been moved to the electric propagator, you can begin supporting them over winter. A good source of light is essential for a plant’s survival, so ensure your propagator is positioned appropriately; consider placing the propagator within your greenhouse.

As temperatures decrease, plants retain water for longer. Over watering will encourage damp and mould to develop around the plant. Check the plant every few days and only water if the surrounding compost is dry.

Maintain a constant temperature between 5°C and 12°C to keep plants alive and frost free. If the temperature surpasses 12°C, plants start to grow, which you won’t want to happen until spring. With the Vitopod Propagator, we recommend opening the vents fully over winter to allow airflow around your plants, helping to prevent bacterial and viral disease build up.

When to Replant your Plants

When the temperature begins to surpass 12°C consistently, typically around March or April, turn up the temperature in your Vitopod to encourage growth. When outdoor temperatures rise, your plants will be ready to move from the safety of your heated propagator and into their new planters. When you do move to new planters, it is very important your plants are not hit by the frost, so consider using some Frost Fleece to protect your plant in the early stages.

Who to Talk to About Winter Propagation

If you would like to know more about propagating over the winter months or what you can grow with your propagator, feel free to call us on 0845 602 3774 or email us at info@greenhousesensation.co.uk. Our Gardening Angels are always happy to help and love hearing your propagation success stories!

If you want to learn more about ripening tomatoes off plant, click here for our handy guide!