These Are All The Easy Ways You Can Protect Your Plants From Frost This Winter
With winter right around the corner, it’s important to begin considering how to protect your precious garden from frost.
When temperatures are at or below 32°F, frost occurs, and plenty of plants can be threatened by the cold snap. Some signs of frost damage may include limp, distorted, or blackened growth.
Thankfully, there are numerous quick and easy ways to keep your more vulnerable greenery safe. Here’s how.
What Plants Need To Be Protected?
Not all plants are made equal, meaning certain varieties will need more frost protection than others. Some of these plant categories are new growth and young seedlings, half-hardy varieties, tender perennials, and tropical and subtropical plants.
Now, if you have any doubts about what plants in your garden could use sheltering, it’s better to be safe than sorry. You can add these crops to your frost protection routine if your area is set to get hit with some cold weather.
Just remember that certain vegetables actually benefit from a bit of frost and may even taste better because of it. You can research if your veggies are frost tolerant or frost resistant.
Easy Ways To Shield Your Plants From Frost
There are countless ways to safeguard your plants against frost, regardless of whether they are growing in containers, flower beds, or raised beds.
Volodymyr – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Perhaps the most obvious first step is bringing your potted plants inside. Plants in containers are more vulnerable to frost damage since they don’t have the same insulation as crops grown in the ground. You can relocate them to your porch, garage, or garden room. Just be sure it isn’t too warm.
Now, for your plants in the ground, you can add some dry mulch to your garden beds or cover them with horticultural fleece.
Borderline-hardy plants benefit from chipped bark or straw to shield the crown. Plus, topping that with piles of leaves is an accessible way to add another layer of protection against the cold.
Fleece covers are especially useful for larger plants and shrubs in your garden, too. Other materials, such as blankets or bubble wrap, can also be used as a protective cover.
To get started, put various stakes around the perimeter of your plant. Then, top the stakes with your material of choice and weigh down the corners. This will create a structure that resembles a tent.
You should leave the corner weights on during the evening to prevent your cover from blowing away. And during the day, you can remove it.
Two more covering methods include cloches and cold frames. Cloches are one of the best options for protecting plants in your veggie patch. These bell-shaped covers, typically made from plastic or glass, just need to be placed over your seedlings or smaller plants. They should also be removed during the daytime to allow your plant to soak up the sun’s warmth.
Cold frames, on the other hand, are great for young, hardy annuals that need some frost safety. Simply place them in a cold frame during the winter months, but ensure there’s solid ventilation on warmer days.
Now, for more tender perennials that have died down, you can lift the plants and store the roots, bulbs, tubers, and corms. They should be kept in a cool place that’s free of frost, like a greenhouse or shed.
Last but not least, one frost-preventing technique is actually a change to your gardening routine. During the winter, or whenever there’s a risk of frost, it’s best to water your plants in the morning. The wet soil will have a chance to absorb the sun’s heat throughout the day, leading to an insulating effect for your garden.
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