Mother Earth’s Garden

Preparing for Frost

by Rebecca on May 19th, 2007

The weather channel reported a frost warning for our area this evening. Normally, you want to avoid protecting plants if possible, since it makes them more hardy to cold weather. But it’s been rather chilly the past couple of days, so I took this warning seriously and have decided to protect my plants. With my containers and baskets it’s as easy as bringing them inside once the sun sets. But for the rest of my plants, a little extra needs to be done.

The key to protecting your plants is understanding what frost is and why it damages plants. Dew forms when the cooler night air causes the moisture in the air to condensate on surfaces. Frost occurs when the surface temperature drops below freezing and the dew freezes. The weaker, less hardy parts of plants receive the most damage from frost. New buds, flowers, and new shoots or stems. Severe frost can kill non dormant plants. You simply want to avoid condensation from forming on the leaves and buds of your plant. The best way to protect your plants is to cover them with fabric or paper, not plastic. Plants have to breath, just like us, and plastic can smother them. If you have to use plastic, cover the plants very loosely and remove the plastic promptly when the temperature reaches above freezing, usually early morning. I had to use plastic on my tomato plants, as you can see in the picture here.

Avoid “smushing” plants. If you have to compact the plant in order to fit it into the covering, then you need to get a bigger cover. If you need to cover large areas, like a vegetable garden, I would suggest putting sticks or something similar in between the rows to avoid the sheet laying flat on the ground and smothering the plants. It will look something like a low tent! I’m sure the ants in my garden with put on a circus under the circumstances. When covering bushes, large containers, or trees, cover them completely to the ground, pot included. The warmth from the ground will help keep the circulating air warm. Also, you don’t want any large spaces for warmth to escape. It’s best to put covering on late in the evening, or after the sun goes down. And uncover plants as soon as the temperature reaches above freezing. The less time plants spend covered, the better!

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