Spooked by maintaining your coronavirus garden? 4 Tips to winterize well

SALEM, Ore., Oct. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As lockdown orders took effect in spring, Americans nationwide planted coronavirus gardens to relieve food supply anxiety, provide a purposeful distraction and enjoy a family-friendly activity. Although harvest season is ending, growers hooked on home-grown provisions can coax more from their gardens. Adapt8, maker of durable and efficient greenhouse and agricultural products available at The Greenhouse Catalog, offers tips for ensuring a cornucopia of produce in months and years to come.

1. Leave the leaves. To improve the soil in raised beds, simply put the leaves you rake on top of your garden and cover with thick plastic. The leaves break down and add nutrients to the soil. You can also plant a cover crop, such as winter rye or crimson clover, and work it into the beds in the spring.
   
   
2. Squash ol' Jack Frost. Use a frost blanket to protect tender plants in your garden from frosty nights, prolonging their production. Put the frost blanket on in the evening and remove it in the morning.
   
   
3. Think big by starting small. A hobby greenhouse, one as small as 8' x 8', is a good start to grow a coronavirus garden for your family. A greenhouse jump-starts and extends the growing season, and you can spice things up by growing vertically, expanding your garden's square footage.
   
   If your greenhouse is unheated, it's important to insulate plant roots. Wrap Christmas lights or bubble wrap around a pot, or put plants on a seedling heat mat. As darker days approach, an LED light made especially for plants will supplement natural light and keep plants growing on the shortest days.
   
   
4. Preserve your favorite producer. Have a favorite tomato plant? Tomatoes are tender perennials and can grow back. To enjoy the same flavors next year, cut the plant back almost to the soil level and put it in your garage or greenhouse for the winter. As long as it doesn't freeze or dry out, it will grow back.

"The most important thing to remember when gardening is to not be afraid to try different things. It's ok to make mistakes because that's how you learn," said Michelle Moore, president of Adapt8. "Have fun while you're gardening and know that fall doesn't have to be your last harvest. As your garden fades, try one of these tips to get more from your plants and the effort you've invested."

About Adapt8 and The Greenhouse Catalog
Adapt8, a family-owned company in Salem, Ore., is changing how the world grows food with innovative products. Adapt8 is best known for Solexx, a twin-wall greenhouse covering with superior insulation, light, quality and longevity, resulting in healthier plants and lower energy bills. Adapt8 is parent company of The Greenhouse Catalog, providing sustainable gardening products to the hobby grower year-round.

Media Contact:
Kelly Rasmussen
[email protected]
503-546-7865

SOURCE Adapt8