5 years ago

10 Practical Ways to Protect Plants from Frost

Author Bio

Jonathon Engels, a long-time vegetarian turned vegan, is currently on a trip from Guatemala to... Read More

For some plants, frost is the worst. Those early seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, okra, and summer squash just can’t withstand seemingly the most insignificant chilly nights. That means that, for eager gardeners, disaster can strike before the growing season even gets underway.

However bad we may want to, none of us can control the weather, a sad situation that is become more apparent with each new year in the age of climate change. Many of the weather phenomena we’ve taken for granted for eons are changing, so sometimes we get super-hot in the summer and other times rogue cold snaps.

Those cold snaps can be detrimental to the early-start garden. But, there are some things, both quick-fixes and permanent infrastructure, we can do to provide a little protection when necessary. The effort will pay off big time come harvest season.

5 Quick Fixes for Incoming Frost

jar

Source: Windell Oskay/Flickr

The crux of a quick fix is that it needs to be easily thrown together on a whim and just as easily dismantled when the flash frost is over. For many of us, particularly in the warmer parts of the USA, these methods will likely do the trick.

Leaves are amazing for protecting young or frost-sensitive plants when the temperature takes a dive. In the case of garden beds, the beds can just get a nice, thick layer of leaves for however long the cold front lasts. For young trees or shrubs—saplings—it just a matter of piling the leaves up around them until the cold is clear.
Straw, more or less, can be used the same way as leaves. It comes in handy when a person—like many—doesn’t simply have a pile of leaves waiting around to save the day. (Note: Making said pile of leaves each autumn isn’t a horrible idea.) Bales of straw are available at garden centers and DIY box stores, like Lowe’s and Home Depot.
Old blankets and sheets, or drop cloths and tarps, can be enough protection when the issue is a mild freeze or frost threat. They can be draped across garden beds or hung atop trees for the night. They keep the immediate ice off of the plants for a short time. However, multiple days of cold weather, particularly wet and cold, can be a problem.
Cardboard boxes are good for situations where gardens only have a few plants to protect. Cardboard boxes can just be placed over them for the night, keeping the freezing morning dew from damaging the plants.
Jugs and jars, be them glass or plastic, can be used for very small seedlings, and they’ll even heat up during the day. Just remember that, if the weather persists for several days, the plants will need some fresh air, so tip the jar or jug every day or two.

5 Infrastructure Moves for Freezes

garden

Source: Ofer El-Hashahar/Flickr

Sometimes, whether we like to admit it or not, the most certain thing about the weather is that the cold variety just isn’t over, no matter how nice it feels on the weekend we can’t resist planting. In the case of this recurring habit, it might be wise to just build the necessary infrastructure for early planting.

Cold frames are basically bottomless wooden boxes with glass tops that fit over the garden beds. They let the sun in during the day, often getting so hot they need to be vented. Then, they trap the warmth in at night. Cold frames can change the temperature by ten degrees, no problem.
Hoop houses have the downside of being plastic but the upside of being easy and inexpensive to make, light to move around, and perfect covering rows. Clear plastic sheeting can be stretched over a semi-cylinder skeleton of ½” PVC pipe.
Heated beds can be constructed using some irrigation hose or black garden hose and a compost pile. Coil the hose into the compost pile, run around in the beds, and fill it with water. The heat of the compost pile will warm the water which keeps it circulating, in turn warming the garden beds.
South-Facing orientation should really just be the default placement of garden beds in the northern hemisphere. The sun is to our south, so when garden beds are open to the south (equator) and protected from the north (pole), they get warmer during the day.
Thermal mass is a characteristic that items like rocks, bricks, and water have to absorb heat from the sun when the weather is warm during the day and slowly release that heat when it cools off at night. Putting rocks, bricks, or water tanks in gardens carries the daytime warmth into the evening.

Planting with That Last Frost in Mind

Truthfully, the best way to protect plants from frost is to sow them sensibly. Some plants just can’t handle the cold, and they should either be started indoors to transplant or kept on the to-do list for later. On the other hand, many crop plants can handle a chill, so when that get-something-in-the-ground itch happens, it’s best to stick with the plants that can handle a cold snap anyway.