Frost Protection Blanket

How You Can Protect Your Plants From Unexpected Frost

During the spring or fall months, especially if you live in a cooler climate, you could experience the arrival of unexpected frost that will destroy your plants. During the beginning of the growing season, delicate seedlings are too vulnerable to a sudden drop in temperatures. As autumn approaches, farmers and gardeners will be racing around trying to collect harvested food as fast as possible. Unfortunately, this can force established plants to become dormant and non-productive.

About Frost

Frost is created by a thin layer of ice when water vapor turns from gas to a solid state when exposed to temperatures that have dropped below the freezing point. When plant cells turn into ice crystals it will obstruct the movement of fluids and seriously harm the plant tissues. In many cases, the plant will be killed.

Temperatures between 28°F and 32°F will not cause as much harm as temperatures from a hard frost which is below 28°F.

Protect Plants From Frost

You have worked long and hard to raise your plants and reap the rewards but there is nothing worse than having your labors go in vain when frost kills off your crops. Frost can easily kill crops but showing some precaution and having supplies available can make a big difference in protecting delicate plants from the cold. Having protective materials and a little knowledge of how to fight off frost can make all the difference. Some good practices and understanding the many protective alternatives available to you can give you ways to create an incredible garden with so many healthy plants, that any negative problems can be turned around:

1 – Bring Potted Plants Indoors

If the forecast predicts frost, and evening hours are approaching, bring your potted plants and hanging baskets inside. Plants in containers are more likely to suffer from frost damage because they do not get insulation from the ground as your plants in the ground do. Also, potted plants' roots are more vulnerable to damage in colder weather.

Pick a spot like a garage, shed, or basement that is not too warm because your plants could go into shock. Inspect your plants for insects or diseases before bringing them inside your home. Keep them separated from your houseplants to prevent them from spreading insects or diseases.

Once the risk of frost has passed, bring your plants back outside in the morning hours.

2 – Water Your Plants In The Afternoon

When you keep the soil moist it will help protect plants from the cold. Moist soil serves as an insulation that radiates heat up through the ground during nightfall.

You should water your plants during the midday hours before a cold snap hits because midday hours are still warmer.

About Mulch

Adding mulch to your garden is one of the best ways to keep maintenance low, but make sure to pull some of the mulch away when the weather turns warmer.

4 – Use A Cloche To Cover Separate Plants

A cloche is a cover shaped like a bell and is made from either plastic or glass to protect smaller plants and keep them warm when the weather is cold. Also, you can reuse them during bad weather situations during the spring and fall seasons.

If you are tight on money, there are probably things around your home that will serve as a cloche. You can use an upside-down pot or a bucket or cut off the bottoms of plastic milk jugs and burrow them into the soil.

You can use cloches to fight off frost by placing them over your plants before night sets in and then removing them in the morning so your plants can enjoy the warmth and rays from the sun.

5 – Protect Plants Using Blankets

If you have a large group of plants in your garden, place stakes in the ground around your plants and then cover them with blankets, sheets, towels, or even drop cloths to create a tent.

Let the material drape down to the soil line and do not tie them off around the stems or trunks of your plants. Tying them down will prevent heat from rising through the plants.

For added resistance from frost, add another layer of protection such as a shower curtain or tarp. Be careful that no part of the plastic covering comes in contact with the plant's foliage. Plastic can damage your plants.

Weigh down the corners and edges of the material with bricks or stones so it won't blow away during the night. If done before dusk, you should remove the coverings the next day in the morning.

If you regularly deal with frost threats, you might want to look into reusable, breathable frost blankets that can be cut to size.

If the nights are chilly, look into mylar thermal blankets also known as space blankets. Place the aluminum side facing down toward the plants. It will help reflect 99% of the heat back into the ground. Place the space blankets on top of the plastic covers.

For neat rows and a polished look consider a mini hoop house kit. It comes with hoops and a fitted heavy-duty fabric covering that preserves warmth. It looks like a small greenhouse. Click Here to better understand what a mini hoop house kit is all about.

7 – Move Air Around

When frost threatens large areas of land in commercial agriculture farms, they use various methods to simulate wind.

One device that is often used is a large fan in a chimney that pushes cold air up and away while pulling warmer air down to the ground. Some of these facilities use low-flying helicopters to fly over crops to keep the air flowing. Although this is not a great approach for the home gardener, the concept of air movement can be used on a much smaller scale.

Simulating wind can actually raise the temperature in your garden by 2°F to 7°F. On evenings with no chance of rain, you can use an electric fan to create a breeze. Obviously, electricity and water do not mix, so you might want to look into a powerful blower made for outdoor use. Keep in mind, blowers are loud!

If you can, place your portable fans in a sheltered area. To ensure warmer air is drawn down, set it a few feet off the ground. Set it so the breeze will cover all the plants in the plot.

Check For Damage After The Frost Has Passed

Once the weather has warmed up and the chance for frost is practically nil, check your plants and trees for black or dark brown leaves and branches. Keep in mind, if there is still a chance for frost, do not cut down damaged branches as they offer protection from frost. Also, this gives you the opportunity to see new growth coming from frost-damaged plants. Hope springs anew.

Make Your Garden More Frost Tolerant

Look into plants that are native to your area or adaptable to your region. Check into the Native Plant Finder for ideas about local grass, flowers, and trees. Some very hardy plants include crocuses, pansies, tulips, and snapdragons.

Rooted edible veggies should include potatoes, carrots, parsnips, beets, onions. garlic, radishes, rutabaga, and turnips.

Cruciferous veggies include broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, bok choy, and collard greens. Cruciferous vegetables are vegetables of the family Cruciferae that are raised for food production. Also, there are edible veggies that are actually sweeter after going through frost!

Leafy greens include spinach, lettuce, tatsoi, mache, and Swiss chard.

Frost-sensitive plants should not be placed on lower ground. Place frost-sensitive foliage on higher ground, in raised garden beds, or in containers that you can take inside when the weather gets bad.

There are so many new technologies available for protecting your garden and hopefully, this article has given you some good ideas to protect all your plants from fruit trees to potatoes and turnips.