| Overwinter your precious plants |
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Garden clean-up, the last big chore for gardeners, is often overlooked, especially if it's been a strenuous gardening year. A gardener can overwinter plants by putting them in a cellar or a cool, sheltered location. Even without heating, a conservatory providing a minimum of 5-7C (41-45F) makes an ideal place to overwinter tender plants from the garden. Overwintering plants, need to be well supplied with moisture to withstand desiccation conditions brought on by winter winds and frozen soils. Place overwintering plants and rooted cuttings in as much natural light as possible. Heated greenhouses with roll-up sides are an option for overwintering plants above freezing, and is successfully being used by many growers. But a gardener does not need to have a greenhouse in order to create the ideal spot for overwintering plants. Just as farmers have done for millennia, try saving seed from some of your most successful overwintering plants. If you have limited space for overwintering plants, make it a priority to save those which are expensive to buy, as well as anything unusual that might be difficult to find the following spring. Built a shelving unit, with some adjustable shelves on it, and a grow light attached to the bottom of each shelf.
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