What does garden fleece do?
Garden fleece has been a garden staple for many years! For good reason too as it protects plants from a variety of things, yet still allows enough light penetration. Here are the advantages of using our garden fleece:
- Protects plants against frost – when used to cover plants, our garden fleece will create a barrier between your plants and the frost, stopping the frost from killing your plants. This is particularly important for delicate and younger plants. We like to use it throughout the winter for this reason. We all know how unpredictable the British weather is, so we also like to use it in the Spring during our early planting to protect the young plants from any unexpected frosts.
- Protects against pests – garden fleece is highly effective in protecting against pests by acting as a physical barrier between them and your plants. We particularly like using it on our brassicas to keep cabbage white butterflies from laying eggs on them! Studies have shown that sheep wool can also deter deer due its 'sheepy' smell, so if you have a problem with deer then it's definitely worth using our garden fleece to drape over plants or trees to protect them.
- Keeps plants warm – our garden fleece will also help to raise the temperature of plants when the sun shines all year round. This can be by about 2°C compared to uncovered plants in the sun and can advance maturity by about two weeks. With wool being naturally breathable, our garden felt will ensure that it doesn’t get too humid or hot for your plants. So, if you have a crop in your allotment that needs hurrying along or want to bring the flowering of a particular plant forward, then the fleece is what you need!
- Acts as wind protection – the UK gets a bit of a bashing from the wind at times so using the garden fleece can act as an extra layer of protection to plants, particularly younger, more vulnerable trees. Protection from the wind can help enhance growth rates by avoiding mechanical stress and water loss caused by high winds. If using the fleece for wind protection you will need to be well anchored or tied tightly!
- Provides protection to soil during heavy rain – our garden fleece can work to break the impact of heavy rain on soil. There are some types of soil that don't drain very well so when excess rain can cause compaction on the surface which limits seed emergence and the growth of small plants. So if you are planting out during those April Showers, having a bit of garden fleece to cover your planting area could save you some heartache!
How do I use it in my garden?
- For wrapping potted plants, bushes and trees – when using the garden fleece to wrap up plants and trees, you need to make sure you get a piece that will cover the whole plant or tree so we suggest getting a piece slightly bigger than the area you need to cover. Then, all you need to do is use some garden twine or string to tie it up around the base or trunk of the plant. If the plant is quite tall it is also worth tying it in the middle too to ensure it is secure. When covering a potted plant, you can tuck the fleece underneath the pot which should act as an extra anchor.
- For covering beds - when using the garden fleece across plant beds, you need to make sure you get a piece that will cover the whole area suggest getting a piece slightly bigger than the measured space. If the area is relatively small, you can use our bamboo pegs to secure the fleece. If the area is quite large, we suggest using something slightly more heavy-duty to secure it. Things like medium-sized rocks, logs or branches in the corners and along the edges of the covered area.
Why is your Sheep Wool Garden Fleece better versus traditional garden fleece?
Most traditional garden fleece products are made using polypropylene which isn’t a particularly sustainable material and isn't easily recyclable. Our garden fleece is made of 100% wool (ACTUAL fleece rather than synthetic fleece) which is sustainable (as sheep always need to be sheared!) and compostable. If you are using it across a plant bed, you can leave it to biodegrade down which will provide added nutrients to your soil. If you've used it and it is starting to look past its best, it can go on the compost heap or you can use it at the bottom of plant pots for roots to grow into and to retain water in the pot.
Wool also has lots of naturally occurring properties like being breathable and insulating which makes it perfect to use as garden fleece! We use wool in a few of our gardening products due to its brilliant properties. Why not have a look at them here?
