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

• Bubble wrap is great for retaining heat and whilst it鈥檚 possible to insulate using standard bubble wrap, horticultural-grade wrap has larger bubbles which gives greater insulation and allows in more light. It is also UV stabilised (a process that delays ultraviolet rays from breaking down the plastic) which means that it has a longer life span.
• Tri-laminated bubble wrap retains even more heat and is hard wearing. How to tell if it is or not?聽 If you can鈥檛 pop the bubbles, it鈥檚 tri-laminated!
• To insulate the roof, fix bubble wrap to the 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 robust than regular tape and can cope better with condensation and extremes of temperature. Using clear tape also helps to ensure maximum light penetration.
• If you have any bubble wrap left over at the end, consider covering the floor with it. It all helps!

(www.rhs.org.uk)

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

(www.rhs.org.uk)

As the weather gets colder, it鈥檚 worth protecting your salad crops with a layer or two of fleece or a cloche. If you鈥檙e using a cloche, leave the ends open to discourage grey mould.

(www.rhs.org.uk)

To ensure an early display next year, it鈥檚 worth sowing a batch of sweet peas now. Sow 聽two seeds in 9cm (3in) pots, label and water before placing somewhere sheltered. They will germinate perfectly well without any heat, but will need protecting from slugs.聽

(www.sweetpeas.org.uk)