HOW TO PREPARE AND PROTECT PLANTS FROM FROST

Frost injures many plants. When the weather report calls for freezing temperatures overnight, don’t stumble around in the dark covering your cold-sensitive plants. Prepare with our tips on how to protect your garden from frost and also design your garden to reduce frost damage.

Whether you’re waiting to plant in spring or those late fall days are getting frosty, it’s important to ensure that frosts will not hamper your efforts! First, you should learn when your area typically gets frost.

Keep a close eye on the weather forecast! If it looks like temperatures are going to drop, get ready to protect tender plants. Moisture also determines whether frost will nip your plants. Condensation warms and evaporation cools. When moisture in the air condenses on plants and soil, heat is produced, sometimes raising the temperature enough to save the plants. On the other hand, if the air is dry, moisture in the soil will evaporate, removing some heat.

WHEN TO PROTECT YOUR PLANTS
Plants are classified according to the minimum temperatures they normally tolerate. Some plants (“hardy”) tolerate some amount of short-term freezing, while other plants (“tender”) are killed or injured by freezing temperatures.

If temperatures below 32°F (0°C) are predicted, expect “frost.” If temperatures in the 25 to 28°F (-4 to -2°C) are predicted, expect a hard “freeze” which is widely destructive to most vegetation.

Frost protection is especially important for tender plants such as tropical houseplants, succulents, begonias, impatiens, peppers, and tomatoes.

HOW TO PROTECT PLANTS FROM FROST
Frost can hit in spring or fall in most areas.

Cover Your Plants: Generally, covering plants to create a temporary pocket of warmer air is the best way to protect them.

Bed sheets, drop cloths, blankets and plastic sheets make suitable covers for vulnerable plants. Drape loosely to allow for air circulation. Secure to ground with rocks or bricks or stakes to keep the covering from touching the foliage beneath.
Keep sheets or row covers at the ready, stored somewhere dry, neatly rolled up and off the ground to keep them away from vermin. If you use polythene covers, hose them down if they’re dirty and dry them so they’re ready to use when frost threatens. It’s best to have all covers in place well before sunset. Before you cover the plants in late afternoon or early evening, water your plants lightly.
Remove the coverings when temperatures rise the next day (mid-morning) so that plants can get full exposure to the warming sunlight.

Mulch Low Plantings
For a short cold period, low plantings can be covered with mulch, such as straw or leaf mold. Remove once the danger of frost has passed.

Homemade Crop Protection: You can also make cold frames or cloches to protect small plants or individual plants. To make a cloche, cut a 2-liter clear plastic soda bottle in half. Here’s how to make cold frames. Or, make a mini hoop house by securing plastic onto homemade hoops of PVC water pipe, slid onto lengths of rebar hammered into the ground. Connect the hoops at the top with a central ridge of piping. It’s an effective way to keep winter hardy salads and vegetables safe from harsh weather.

Protect Root Crops: In milder regions, root crops such as carrots and beets can be left in the ground until needed. Some, like parsnips, actually become sweeter after a frost. Mulch your root vegetables with a thick layer of compost, straw, dried leaves or leaf mold, but if the ground is likely to freeze solid for a long period, dig them up and store them somewhere cool, dry and frost-free.

Protect Containers: In winter the biggest enemy of crops in pots is persistently wet potting soil. Make sure there is adequate drainage by placing containers onto pot feet (or improvise with small rocks). Some containers can crack in very cold conditions. To prevent this, wrap pots in bubble plastic or burlap. Move pots somewhere more sheltered if possible, for instance against a South-facing house wall, or into a greenhouse.

Protect Soil in Winter: Don’t forget about the soil! Keep soil covered to protect beneficial soil life such as worm-, bug- and fungi-happy. Before it gets too cold, add a thick layer of organic matter to the surface to keep soil life fed and protect the soil itself from erosion.

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[davidvonachen]

We used free lumber from hurricane damaged fencing and free scrap greenhouse plastic from a new greenhouse construction protect to protect our plants from frost damage.

[themonster]

You don't get frost in Florida. Just kidding, please keep the great tips coming.

[edensreturn]

We will be uploading weekly updates on our progress throughout the year. Thank you for watching, please comment, like, share, and subscribe to our channel.

Like Our Facebook Page


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Join Our Facebook Group
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