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Insulating a greenhouse can help to keeptender plants alive and if you heat your greenhouse over the winter, it will helpto cut down on heating costs too. Bubble wrap is the best thing to use and soif you intend to use it, here are a few things to bear in mind:

• Bubble wrap is great for retaining heatand whilst it’s possible to insulate using standard bubble wrap, horticultural-gradewrap has larger bubbles which gives greater insulation and allows in morelight. It is also UV stabilised (a process that delays ultraviolet rays from breakingdown the plastic) which means that it has a longer life span.
• Tri-laminated bubble wrap retains evenmore heat and is hard wearing. How to tell if it is or not?  If you can’t pop the bubbles, it’stri-laminated!
• To insulate the roof, fix bubble wrap tothe ridge and spread it down the glazing bars. Cut bubble wrap around the vents,louvres and windows which may need to be opened on warm days for ventilation.
• Clear all-weather tape is more robustthan regular tape and can cope better with condensation and extremes oftemperature. Using clear tape also helps to ensure maximum light penetration.
• If you have any bubble wrap left over atthe end, consider covering the floor with it. It all helps!

More on insulating a greenhouse(www.rhs.org.uk)

Now is the perfect time to plant amaryllis bulbs for flowering over Christmasand the New Year. Give them a head start by soaking the roots in tepid waterovernight, taking care not to immerse the bulb itself. It is thought that thebulbs will produce a better display if their roots are constricted, so choose apot that is slightly wider than the bulb itself, with enough depth for theroots to grow. Fill the pot with free-draining compost and plant so that two-thirdsof the bulb remains above the surface. Gently firm in and water before placingsomewhere warm and light.

More on growing amaryllis (www.rhs.org.uk)

As the weather gets colder, it’s worth protectingyour salad crops with a layer or two of fleece or a cloche. If you’re using acloche, leave the ends open to discourage grey mould.

More on growing salads (www.rhs.org.uk)

To ensure an early display next year, it’s worth sowinga batch of sweet peas now. Sow  two seedsin 9cm (3in) pots, label and water before placing somewhere sheltered. Theywill germinate perfectly well without any heat, but will need protecting fromslugs. 

How to grow good sweet sweet peas(www.sweetpeas.org.uk)