Now that we've got a few little baby plants starting to grow one of our main focuses is to keep them safe. Here at the Growing in Harmony site we have a bit of a rodent problem and keeping them away from our littlest plants is a top priority.
One of the ways we do this is with jars and cut up plastic bottles. We place these over the little plants in the raised beds in our tunnel like little mini greenhouses and they also provide a bit of extra warmth for our growing plants.
For earlier outdoor crops that are getting ready to go outside, we're hardening them off in a cold frame, a covered area for holding plants that aren't quite ready to go in the soil and need somewhere safe to grow. Ours are made of wood with netting over the top but if you're working on a smaller scale you can use anything you have to hand. We've used polystyrene boxes and paper, cardboard and bubble wrap also work well for insulation. Finish it off with something to go over the top, a clear plastic bag or some net will work well and can be removed during the day, though don't forget to put them back on at night and keep everything well watered!
