Protect plants and flowers from this year's first frost by adding 1 item to the soil now

Autumn is in full swing and is the perfect time to prepare your garden for the winter months when the temperature drops and frost begins to form. To help you prepare for the first, gardening expert Michael Griffiths shared all of the tasks he carries out before the first frost sets in.

In a recent TikTok video, Michael emphasised the importance of protecting plants from the frost, as it can result in the plants and flowers getting damaged. There's one vital item you can add to your beds and borders now to get ahead of the game. Michael said: "I know it's getting chilly, but I always try and get these jobs done before winter arrives."

Not all plants and flowers are suited to winter and may spend a few months dormant to survive. When it comes to protecting your plants from the incoming frost, Michael advised covering beds and borders with mulch.

He said: "It protects roots and gives the soil a lovely boost ready for spring."

Mulch can be made using a thick layer of bark, rotted leaves or other organic material. The mulch will act as an insulator for the soil and retain warmth when the temperatures begin to drop.

Jacksons Nurseries explained that it's not necessarily all down to the coldness above the surface, but the process of freezing and thawing of the soil which can damage plants. There are some plants which can be over-wintered by completely covering in mulch, such as rose bushes and strawberries.

Although prevention is the best step to take, some plants may get damaged and will need some time to recover. You can cover the plants in black plastic with some small holes - to allow the plants to breathe - to protect them in the morning. This can then be removed at midday.

Jacksons Nurseries also recommended adding a generous amount of multi-purpose compost with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to help encourage strong root growth.

Mulch can also be beneficial for stopping the growth of weeds too. The mulch will suppress sunlight which is needed to germinate and grow weed seeds, and conserve moisture by reducing evaporation from the soil surface, according to the Royal Horticultural Society.

The RHS also shared some top tips for applying mulch to your garden properly, such as:

• To be effective, biodegradable mulches need to be between at least 5cm (2in) and ideally 7.5cm (3in) thick
• Lay mulches over moist soil, after removing weeds, when the soil is not frozen
• When creating new beds, planting through mulch sheets is effective
• Single trees and specimen shrubs are best mulched to the radius of the canopy
• As it decomposes over time, a biodegradable mulch will feed your plants and microorganisms in the soil reducing the need for additional soluble feed
• Ground covering mediterranean plants such as Thymus species may be best left unmulched as it can hold too much moisture around the stems and foliage